Iran’s Raisi attacks US during speech to Russian parliament

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi defended his nation’s nuclear actions as authorized and renewed sturdy criticism towards the American sanctions regime that has battered the Iranian financial system.

“We aren’t in search of a nuclear bomb, and it has no place in our protection technique,” Raisi declared in a speech at Russia’s decrease parliament Jan. 20, as he refenced a 2003 fatwa, or spiritual decree, issued by Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in prohibition of atomic weapons.

Whereas expressing readiness for “most engagement” with the world, Raisi vowed “to not again off” in his battle towards the US, which “seeks to violate our nation’s rights.” The Iranian president introduced his authorities is critical about reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, however solely “if the opposite events are additionally critical for a real and efficient reduction of sanctions.”

Raisi’s newest stance on Iran’s nuclear program was made as an eighth spherical of talks on resurrecting the accord was underway in Vienna with reported gradual progress.

The US, which is not directly engaged within the talks, has warned that the clock is ticking on a brand new deal, and failure will make Washington select from amongst different choices.

The Iranian president was in Moscow as a part of a two-day go to that earlier took him to a socially distanced assembly along with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin.

The “landmark” go to, as hailed by the Islamic Republic and its media, fell inside the “look to east” coverage promoted by the nation’s supreme chief, a technique that prioritizes ties with China and Russia over Western powers.

Raisi advised a gathering of Iranian financial actors in Moscow on Thursday that preliminary work has already began on drafting a 20-year Iran-Russia partnership deal, however offered no additional particulars. The 2 sides have additionally agreed on opening a $5 billion credit score line, which Tehran badly wants following years-long and crippling worldwide banking restrictions.

Regardless of the applause from authorities loyalists, Raisi’s Russia journey has additionally fueled worries amongst his critics that Tehran might cede an excessive amount of to Moscow. They’ve particularly highlighted the potential 20-year accord, which stays largely shrouded in secrecy.

The hard-line paper Kayhan — near Khamenei’s workplace — threw a signature diatribe at these critics, describing them as “stooges of America.”

“It’s comprehensible that the US wouldn’t take pleasure in Iran’s affinity with Russia and China … as a result of when powers like China, Russia and Iran stand collectively, it could not profit the West,” the paper wrote. “However the Reformists [at home] must reply why they’re shifting towards Iran’s nationwide pursuits and keep aligned with these of the USA.” 

Within the wake of the Raisi go to, some Reformists have dug into the historical past of Iran and Russia ties, highlighting the latter’s “backstabbing.” They’ve additionally questioned the Islamic Republic’s failure to adjust to its unique revolutionary conviction of strict independence, famously embodied within the motto of “no to east, no to west.”

“The signal ‘neither east, nor west’ on the doorway of the Overseas Ministry premises has change into irrelevant way back,” tweeted political scientist and outspoken critic Sadegh Zibakalm. “When again from Moscow, the overseas minister would higher take the signal down and ship it to the basement storage in Kayhan [newspaper’s building].”