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Nuclear Deal Clears Hurdle, but Iranian Reaction Is Muted Nuclear Deal Clears Hurdle, but Iranian Reaction Is Muted
(about 3 hours later)
TEHRAN — The landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the global powers has long been sought by many here, but any jubilation over the news that the accord had cleared a crucial hurdle in Washington was muted. TEHRAN — Iranians waiting a long time for their country to shed its role as perpetual global outsider greeted the news that a landmark nuclear accord had cleared a crucial hurdle in Washington with a temperate response on Friday.
“It’s Friday in Iran,” said Saeed Laylaz, an economist, explaining the subdued reaction. He, along with many others, was focusing on the traditional, opulent family lunch that usually takes up most of Friday — comparable to Sunday in the West. There was no clear reference to the breakthrough in Congress at Friday Prayer, although one prayer leader, Ayatollah Mohammed Ali Movahedi-Kermani, warned the United States that any attempt to alter the agreement would be met with similar Iranian countermeasures.
“When the workweek starts on Saturday, expect positive reactions,” he said. “This is, after all, what we have all been waiting for.” “America is the same as before, a bullying power,” he said at Tehran University. “They say the sanctions can snap back into place, and they say, ‘The regime in Iran should change.’ But they should know that we never accept humiliation.”
As a result, there were almost no visible signs of excitement among the capital’s 12 million residents even though President Obama could soon start the process of lifting sanctions against Iran. “They say the sanctions are reversible; we say our activities are reversible,” he added, drawing cheers of “Death to America” from the crowd.
Still, many Iranians have been waiting a long time for this moment. Since a breakthrough phone call between Mr. Obama and President Hassan Rouhani in 2013, Iranians have been forced to endure a slow-moving process that they hope will allow the country to shed the role of perpetual global outsider that it has played since the 1979 revolution. Still, after decades of stiff sanctions and international isolation, Iranians have been looking forward to the results of a nuclear deal negotiated by the government of President Hassan Rouhani and representatives of the United States and five other world powers. But the process that Mr. Rouhani had outlined publicly took longer than many had expected.
“I don’t want to think about this deal any longer,” said Gity Heidarian, 28, a teacher, summing up the feelings of many here. “I just want it to be implemented and move on.”“I don’t want to think about this deal any longer,” said Gity Heidarian, 28, a teacher, summing up the feelings of many here. “I just want it to be implemented and move on.”
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last week ordered Parliament to review the agreement, but few expect to see serious resistance from Iranian lawmakers. Even though President Obama could soon start the process of lifting sanctions, any enthusiasm here will probably wait for Iran’s leaders to go through their own deliberately orchestrated review process.
State television’s 24-hour news channel only briefly mentioned the decision in Congress on Friday morning, choosing instead to show a long discussion in the parliamentary committee tasked with investigating the agreement. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last week ordered Parliament to consider the agreement before it is put into effect. Few people here expect to see serious resistance from Iranian lawmakers.
Members of the committee questioned a former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, about the deal. Mr. Jalili, a hard-liner like most of the panel members, did not like the deal, and neither did his audience. Iranian leaders and state media are careful not to lend too much public importance to developments that might be viewed as victories for the American president, instead trying to maintain an air of imperviousness to political wranglings in Washington.
State television’s 24-hour news channel only briefly mentioned the decision in Congress on Friday morning, choosing instead to show a long discussion in the parliamentary committee that is investigating the agreement. Members of that committee questioned a former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, about the deal. Mr. Jalili, a hard-liner like most of the panel members, did not like it.
“If a single country complains about Iran, the sanctions will return,” he said. “We have accepted oversight beyond our commitments made in the agreement.”“If a single country complains about Iran, the sanctions will return,” he said. “We have accepted oversight beyond our commitments made in the agreement.”
The simmering discontent could play out during the execution of the agreement, or if sanctions are not lifted soon enough according to the taste of the Iranian leaders. That simmering discontent among hard-liners here could intensify if sanctions are not lifted as swiftly as Iranian leaders would like.
One hard-line analyst, who is close to Ayatollah Khamenei, said that Parliament was flagging possible problems in the deal in case there are issues later. “We will hear more about Parliament’s role when we reach the next phase of the agreement: the implementation,” said the analyst, Hamidreza Taraghi. One political analyst who is close to Ayatollah Khamenei said that Parliament was flagging possible problems in the deal just in case there are issues later. “We will hear more about Parliament’s role when we reach the next phase of the agreement: the implementation,” said the analyst, Hamidreza Taraghi.
At the same time, the review potentially carries benefits to supporters of the nuclear accord by giving an air of legitimacy to it, one politician said. The parliamentary review might benefit supporters of the nuclear accord in Iran by giving it an air of legitimacy, one politician said. “Some may say that this agreement was imposed if Parliament does not examine it,” said Mohsen Rezaie, the secretary of the Expediency Council, a panel that settles disputes between Parliament and other government councils, according to his website.
“Some may say that this agreement was imposed if Parliament does not examine it,” said Mohsen Rezaie, the secretary of the Expediency Council, an organization that settles disputes between Parliament and other veto-wielding councils, according to his website. Supporters of the government and Mr. Rouhani have said parliamentary review is not necessary so long as the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, supports the accord. “Our Parliament is not important at all,” said Saeed Laylaz, an Iranian economist. “Our top leaders support this agreement, including our supreme leader. That is all that matters.”
Supporters of the government and Mr. Rouhani say such measures are unnecessary. There were almost no visible signs of excitement or popular opposition among the capital’s 12 million residents, many of whom were focused instead on the traditional family lunch that usually takes up most of Friday — a day comparable to Sunday in the West.
“Our Parliament is not important at all,” Mr. Laylaz said. “Our top leaders support this agreement, including our supreme leader. That is all that matters.” “When the workweek starts on Saturday, expect positive reactions,” Mr. Laylaz said. “This is, after all, what we have all been waiting for.”
At Friday Prayer, there was no clear reference to the breakthrough in Congress, although a prayer leader, Ayatollah Mohammed Ali Movahedi-Kermani, speaking at Tehran University, warned the United States that any attempt to alter the agreement would be met with similar Iranian countermeasures.
“America is the same as before, a bullying power,” he said. “They say the sanctions can snap back into place, and they say, ‘The regime in Iran should change.’ But they should know that we never accept humiliation.”
“They say the sanctions are reversible; we say our activities are reversible,” he added, drawing cheers of “Death to America” from the crowd.