Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Urges ‘Careful Scrutiny’ of Iran Deal
|
Version 0 of 1. TEHRAN — In his first comments after the announcement of the nuclear accord between Iran and world powers, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that the agreement needed “careful scrutiny.” The deal between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany is laid out in an extensive legal document that requires Iran to take several steps to provide more transparency of its nuclear program. In exchange, sanctions against Iran will be lifted in a step-by-step-process. Mr. Khamenei’s remarks, contained in a letter to President Hassan Rouhani posted on Mr. Khamenei’s website, seemed to provide an opening for criticism of the deal by the country’s hard-liners. “Bringing the negotiations to a conclusion was a milestone,” Mr. Khamenei said of the talks. “The prepared text, however, needs careful scrutiny,” he said, adding that Iran would need to be vigilant about possible violations of the commitments in the accord “by the other parties.” Despite Iran’s participation in direct talks with the United States that resulted in an agreement, Mr. Khamenei hinted that he still was doubtful that Western negotiators could be trusted. “You are well aware that some of the six states participating in the negotiations are not trustworthy at all,” the ayatollah said. Russia and China are widely considered to be sympathetic to Iran. In the next few days, Mr. Khamenei is expected to deliver his first public speech since Tuesday’s nuclear agreement, possibly this Saturday in Tehran, after Islamic clerics have spotted the new moon and the holy fasting month of Ramadan comes to an end. |