Khamenei Denounces Rouhani For Negotiating Nuclear Deal

Khamenei Denounces Rouhani For Negotiating Nuclear Deal

This has been reported by Juan Cole.  Apparently Supreme Jurisprudent, Ali Khamenei of Iran in a speech to a large number of university students has seriously denounced President Rouhani for having negotiated the JCPOA nuclear agreement with the United States and other powers.  During the negotiations Khamenei played a mixed role, raising doubts about the negotiations, but allowing them to continue and for the agreement to be adopted and implemented.  As all know, Iran has until now kept its part of the agreement, whereas President Trump withdrew the US from it and has imposed even more serious economic sanctions on Iran than were there before the agreement, with other powers unable to substantially offset the US actions, even as their governments have continued to nominally support the agreement.  Thus, Khamenei has now fully and openly declared that his doubts were correct and that Rouhani was foolish to make the agreement.

This follows the announcement that Iran will begin nominally breaching the agreement by expanding its enrichment of uranium.  The violation remains relatively minor at this point, but it is a significant step in any case. With the US raising military pressure, even as Trump says he does not want a war, it seems that this situation is just getting worse with almost nobody making any effort to halt this slide into rising conflict.  As it is, Khamenei seems to be preparing his nation for the worst.

Barkley Rosser