Khamenei Says No Nuclear Deal Unless Sanctions Lifted Completely

Wall Street Journal reports, "Iran’s Khamenei Urges Iranian
Lawmakers to Vote on Nuclear Deal" ... "Iran’s Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened to torpedo
the nuclear deal with the U.S. and other powers if
 economic sanctions against the country aren’t lifted entirely.

ARRA News Service: Are we willing to listen at least to what the Iranians are saying. It is obvious that President Obama and John Kerry are selling a flawed Iran Nuke Deal. Today's news reports reflect the die situations of the deal which not only threaten Israel but the civilized world including the USA.

In his speech yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry said again that sanctions can be quickly returned to Iran if the regime cheats under the deal the Obama administration struck. “[I]f we have even a shadow of doubt that illegal activities are going on, either the IAEA will be given the access required to uncover the truth or Iran will be in violation and the nuclear-related sanctions can snap back into place,” Kerry said. He also asserted, “The arrangement that we worked out with Tehran is based exclusively on verification and proof. . . . [T]hat’s why sanctions relief is tied strictly to performance . . . .”

However, the Iranians seem to have a different conception of this deal than does the Obama administration. According to the AP, “Iran's supreme leader said Thursday ‘there will be no deal’ if world powers insist on suspending rather than lifting sanctions as part of a landmark nuclear agreement, and said it is up to Iran's parliament, and not him, to approve or reject it. . . .

“Khamenei said some U.S. officials have spoken of the ‘suspension’ of sanctions, which he said is unacceptable.

Reuters adds, “Khamenei said that without a cancellation of sanctions that have hobbled Iran's economy, the deal would be jeopardized.

“‘Should the sanctions be suspended, then there would be no deal either. So this issue must be resolved. If they only suspend the sanctions, then we will only suspend our nuclear activities,’ he said. Iran and the Western powers have appeared to differ since the accord was struck on precisely how and when sanctions are to be dismantled. ‘Then we could go on and triple the number of centrifuges to 60,000, keep a 20 percent level of uranium enrichment and also accelerate our Research and Development (R & D) activities,’ the Supreme Leader added.”

And, for good measure, Reuters notes, “Khamenei also criticized the United States' Middle East policy, suggesting that antagonism prevailing between Iran and Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran will not abate because of the nuclear deal. ‘Our officials have been banned from holding talks with Americans except on the nuclear issue. This is because our policies differ with America,’ he said.

“‘One of America's regional policies is to fully destroy the forces of resistance and wants to retake full control of Iraq and Syria ... America expects Iran to be part of this framework,’ Khamenei told a session of the Assembly of Experts which has the power both to dismiss a Supreme Leader and to choose one. ‘But this will never happen.’

“By ‘forces of resistance’, Khamenei was alluding to Islamist militant groups such as Hezbollah, a close ally -- like Iran -- of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his war with rebels trying to overthrow him.”

This is the regime Senate Democrats are lining up to endorse a deal with. But not only are a number endorsing it, apparently Democrat leaders now want to prevent an up-or-down vote on a resolution of disapproval of the deal.

Politico writes “[T]he Obama administration and key allies in the Senate — such as Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Senate Democrat — are pushing to secure every last ‘yes’ vote they can. Their goal is 41 votes, which would stop the resolution of disapproval from ever reaching the White House.”

In an editorial, the Omaha World-Herald takes Durbin, Minority Leader Harry Reid, and other Democrats to task for this attempt to block debate. “Washington produces more than its share of ill-considered actions, but recent days have brought one of the more exasperating. News reports say Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the rules-savvy former Senate majority leader who’s now minority leader, is working to prevent the Senate from holding a debate on the Iran nuclear agreement.

“Reid and his allies are working, with the encouragement of the White House, to erect roadblocks that could keep the Senate from having its say on one of the most far-reaching security agreements ever negotiated by our country.

“That debate specifically would be on a resolution of disapproval against the Iran agreement. The latest vote count shows that the Iran agreement — touted by the administration as its signature foreign policy achievement — is opposed by a majority of senators. Reid and the White House want to keep the Senate from expressing that ‘no’ . . . .”

The World-Herald explains, “Some things — such as allowing debate over major security agreements — are far more important than any political embarrassment the administration might suffer if the Senate were to say ‘no.’ . . . Push aside the politics, and it’s clear that if there is anything that’s needed on the Iran nuclear issue, it’s vigorous, informed debate by Congress.”

In contrast, Reuters reports, “Iran's Supreme Leader said on Thursday he favored a parliamentary vote on its nuclear deal reached with world powers and called for sanctions against Tehran to be lifted completely rather than suspended, state television reported. . . .

“‘Parliament should not be sidelined on the nuclear deal issue ... I am not saying lawmakers should ratify or reject the deal. It is up to them to decide,’ said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state policy in Iran. ‘I have told the president that it is not in our interest to not let our lawmakers review the deal,’ the top Shi'ite Muslim cleric said in remarks broadcast live on state TV.”

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