Speaker: Iranian Parliament to Reciprocate US Congress Hostile Approvals

“If the US government lacks integrity in decision-making, other nations shouldn’t pay the price; the measures adopted some days ago with regard to the visa (waiver program) within the framework of the US budget bill (by the Congress) was certainly against the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers) and if they don’t revise their action, Iran will reciprocate it and the necessary measures have been foreseen in this regard,” Larijani said, addressing an open session of the parliament in Tehran on Sunday.

Blasting the US Congress for its recent approvals against Iran, he said, “If the US administration doesn’t prevent their implementation, the Iranian people’s representatives at the parliament will (approve and) implement reciprocal plans.”

Larijani lambasted the US Congress sanctions against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and the IRGC Qods Force, and said they provide security to the Iranian and regional nations and “if it hadn’t been for the Quds Force’s presence in the region, you would have witnessed tens of (terrorist) incidents like Paris”.

In relevant remarks last month, Larijani lashed out at the recent US Congress approval against Tehran after the nuclear deal, describing it as a childish decision by the American lawmakers to bring their country out of passiveness.

“On the US Congress decisions, I should say that I generally think they have been passive in their diplomatic conduct and want to come out of this passiveness through childish decisions,” Larijani said, addressing an open session of the parliament in Tehran.

On the US Congress approval which allows the Americans to claim Iranian funds in a case which is currently before the American Supreme Court, he underlined that seizing Iran’s assets is unjust and means “robbery”.

Larijani warned of Iran’s retaliatory measures against Washington’s moves, and said, “Certainly, the US measures will be reciprocated and we are working on plans to this end.”

The US Congress hostile moves against Tehran came after Iran and the world powers reached a final agreement in Vienna on July 14 to end a 13-year-old nuclear standoff.

In a breach of the nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany), Washington passed a law affecting its Visa Waiver Program, which exempts nationals from 38 countries from having to obtain visas to visit the US but the American officials have promised to find a way to nullify the law.

The Iranian foreign ministry warned in December that the country will take reciprocal steps if faced with the powers, specially the US, measures against the nuclear agreement.

“Any measure outside the agreed details (related to the nuclear deal) will be responded by Iran’s reciprocal and appropriate actions,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari told reporters in Tehran.

He referred to the remarks made by the American officials and presidential election hopefuls in the US against Iran, and said, “The internal issues and power game in the US are not related to us.”

“What is related to our interests will be implemented based on the agreements made in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the technical points which have been considered before (its endorsement),” Jaber Ansari stressed.