Ayatollah Rafsanjani: Nuclear team supported by Supreme Leader

“The will of the Supreme Leader was behind this issue; despite all the issues, Ayatollah Khamenei supported them till the end,” Ayatollah Rafsanjani said on Sunday.

“It was quite clear for us that the West’s policy was to shift on food-for-oil, because they needed our oil and we needed food,” he added.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani reiterated the role of Supreme Leader’s supports in helping Iran to reach nuclear agreement with the West.

Iran has fulfilled its commitments as brought in the JCPOA, but the West, specially the US, have not fully fulfilled their commitments so far.

In early August, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned of Tehran’s retaliatory measures if the US does not fulfill its undertakings under the nuclear agreement they struck with Iran in July 2015.

‘Americans’ lack of commitment to the deal will cause them more harm than good,’ Zarif said.

The foreign minister pointed to Iran’s freedom of choice with regard to the JCPOA, and said, ‘Countries who have accepted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action are in charge of its implementation and Iran would also seriously pursue execution of the deal,”

Zarif said that under the guidance of the Supreme Leader, Iran has considered various alternatives during nuclear talks in order to prevent any possible harm.

He said that the US is on the wrong track since their lack of commitment to JCPOA has exacerbated distrust of the Iranian nation towards them and meanwhile their losses would outweigh what they might achieve.

“Iran has proven to the world that it seeks constructive discourse in order to reach a solution; while in contrast, Americans have taken up a wrong approach that would harm themselves in the first place,” Zarif added.

In relevant remarks in April, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi strongly warned the western members of the Group 5+1 against violating the July nuclear deal, saying that any such violation would receive Tehran’s firm response.

‘Legally speaking, there is a possibility that the other side misuses a point in the nuclear deal, but meantime, the document enjoys such an integrity and power that the other side doesn’t allow itself to create any problem,’ Salehi said, addressing Iranian foreign ministry officials in Tehran.

He underlined that Tehran will continue monitoring the other side’s commitment to its undertakings with its eyes open wide. ‘I firmly announce that we act upon the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei)’s views in a way that if the other side does not comply with its undertakings appropriately, we will show a proper reaction.’

His remarks came after the US and certain other western states have been witnessed as dragging their feet in implementing undertakings based on the nuclear deal which included removal of sanctions against Tehran.