Conservative candidate Saeed Jalili, in reflecting on the Rouhani administration, said that its shortcoming was its focus on one issue, the JCPOA, in which it did not succeed. Jalili added that if the officials are unable to counter the sanctions against Iran, then it is inevitable that the burden will be on the people, which Jalili said is unacceptable.
A 3-hour interview with Foreign Minister, and potential candidate, Mohammad-Javad Zarif was leaked today, in which Zarif accuses the Russians of trying to sabotage the JCPOA agreement in 2015. Zarif also ruminates on the competing objectives of his office with the interests of Qasem Soleimani and the Quds Force. Zarif also comments on Ahmadinejad’s attempt to talk to the Americans about nuclear issues without first seeking the permission of the Supreme Leader, adding that “Death to America is just another slogan for Ahmadinejad”. The Foreign Ministry has called the leaked audio “distorted and fragmented”.
Candidate Masoud Pezeshkian criticised “extremists” for arguing for a delay in negotiations on the JCPOA until after the election, saying that these Iranian extremists were the same as Israeli and American opponents to the nuclear deal. Pezeshkian added that these extremists believe if the new deal is signed before the election then the Reformists will win the Presidency, and therefore their approach to the nuclear negotiations is through self-interest, not the national interest.
In a controversial interview with Sputnik, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a potential contender in this year’s election, stated that it would be “logical” to include Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in negotiations to restart the JCPOA nuclear deal. His statement contradicts the Foreign Ministry’s rejection of Saudi involvement in negotiations, and comes one day after the Supreme Leader stated that the next president should revive the nuclear deal.