After the Nov. 24 announcement of a seven-month extension on the nuclear talks, some Iran conservatives are pointing fingers at the United States, and one Iranian news site is even criticizing the Supreme Leader’s foreign policy adviser.
At a speech today, Nov. 26, commemorating Basij Week and the Iran-Iraq war, Mohammad Ali Jaffari, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that the Basij Organization was formed to “resist against American conspiracies,” adding, “The people know that the economic and political pressure and military threats are because … the people will not submit to American force.”
On the nuclear negotiations, Jaffari said, “It became clear that America is not reliable.” The transcript provided by Fars News offered no other context for the statement. On the issue of sanctions, one of the main sticking points in the negotiations, Jaffari said, “We have to rely on our own ability.”
One of the main goals of the nuclear negotiations is to determine the quantity, method and timeframe for the removal of UN Security Council and US sanctions on Iran in return for a reduced nuclear program. However, not all political factions in Iran feel that concessions on their nuclear program are the best way to address Iran’s economic woes and have advocated focusing on domestic production rather than international markets.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
