Mahmoud Vaezi was against Ali Shamkhani reviving the JCPOA.
Mahmoud Vaezi was against Ali Shamkhani reviving the JCPOA. According to unconfirmed reports, Iran’s nuclear file is set to be handed over to Ali Shamkhani, the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Officials of the Islamic Republic have not yet officially announced this news.
Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, only stated that this claim does not present any specific point. Kanaani added that the path of negotiations to lift sanctions will continue within the framework of issued guidelines and policies.
Now Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of the office of former President Hassan Rouhani in the twelfth government, has told the newspaper Etemad that towards the end of Rouhani’s administration, the line of the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council during Shamkhani’s tenure was against reviving the JCPOA. If the Secretariat had been aligned, it would have been revived at that time.
In his interview, Mahmoud Vaezi reports the lack of cooperation from Ali Shamkhani in his position as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency as head of the Supreme National Security Council.
Regarding Shamkhani’s faction, he says that gradually some individuals and the secretary in the Secretariat adopted different methods. They pursued policies that were not even discussed in the council meetings. They had created a media outlet and published certain content in it, and when we raised issues, they would say that this is not the Secretariat’s media, but a media outlet of one of the individuals working here.
The head of Rouhani’s presidency office adds that when a place becomes somewhat factional and partisan, this is what happens. In truth, regarding the JCPOA, they had a line to prevent it from happening. They did not say it in words, but their behavior reflected this.
Vaezi says, ‘I had an extensive conversation with him and said that the country’s interest lies in having clear and transparent relations between the Secretary and the President, but it did not happen, and it did not happen until the last day. He would say, ‘I agree,’ and in conversation, he would agree, but in practice, it was something else.’
Vaezi emphasizes that Hassan Rouhani personally pursued the JCPOA issue specifically and adds that if the Secretariat had been aligned, it could have been easily resolved. I can even say that if the Secretariat had been aligned, it would have been signed in the twelfth government.
The former head of Rouhani’s presidency office, in response to the question of why Rouhani did not make an effort to change the Secretary of the National Security Council, says, ‘Well, changing the Secretary is always an agreement between the President and the Supreme Leader. This agreement was not reached. Mr. Rouhani made several attempts, about 5 or 6 times over four years, Mr. Rouhani did this.’