Supreme Leader Defends "Iran's Nuclear Achievements"

On April 9th, dubbed Nuclear Technology Day, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei stated that Iran would not back down on any of its nuclear achievements. Speaking to key members of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, he voiced doubt over the P5+1 countries' intentions, and he accused them of sabatoge in previous negotiations.

The statements came on the final day of discussions between Iran and the P5+1 group in Vienna, attended by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. 

Even if agreements over nuclear policies could be reached soon, Khamenei said, the West would find other excuses to be hostile towards the Islamic Republic, adding that Iran had no intention of simply bowing to Western demands. The relationship between Iran and the International Nuclear Agency should be a balanced one, he said. 

The speech provided ample leverage for hardliners to criticize Foreign Minister Zarif and the negotiations team. 

On the same day, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, presented a report on Iran’s nuclear activities to Khamenei. Salehi, who previously held this position during part of Ahmadinejad’s presidency, has been a fierce supporter of nuclear agreements between Iran and the West. He has become used to fielding attacks on President Rouhani’s nuclear policies, many of them voiced by some of Khamanei's closest allies. 

Khamanei said it was important that Iran take a step back from negotiations as they currently stand, insisting that the international community acknowledge that Iran was not intent on building nuclear weapons. Sanctions, he added, did not factor into any decisions over the nuclear deal.

The Iranian supreme leader called on people to support Iran's nuclear program, and criticized those who refused to do so. Being critical of the program, and refusing to acknowledge Iran's achievements, he said, was potentially damaging to the Islamic Republic. In recent months, some activists close to Hashemi Rafsanjaani, such as Sadegh Ziba Kalaam, have been critical of the nuclear program and its impact on the country. At the same time, Khamenei supporters have criticized the Atomic Energy Organization for recent reshuffles in both its technical and management teams.