BICOM

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned yesterday that Iran will abandon the JCPOA nuclear deal if its economic interests are not met.

Khamenei reportedly told President Hassan Rouhani and the cabinet that; “the JCPOA is not the objective, it is only a means. Naturally, if we reach the conclusion that it is no longer maintaining our national interests, we will put it aside.” He clarified that talks should continue with European countries trying to save the deal after the US withdrew, but the Iranian government; “must not pin hope on the Europeans for issues such as the JCPOA or the economy. We must examine their promises with scepticism,” he added.

Khamenei’s remarks were reported as Iran tries to cope with the return of US sanctions and mounting economic problems causing political tensions and a severe depreciation of the rial. US sanctions on Iran’s oil sector will come into force in November.

Israel’s Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin yesterday in Washington to discuss sanctions on Iran. They agreed to establish a joint task force to enforce economic sanctions on Iran’s high-tech sector. They also agreed that the Israeli Finance Ministry and the US Treasury Department will be responsible for applying the economic sanctions, and the joint taskforce will be staffed by officials from both countries. Kahlon said: “The economic sanctions that the US has been leading against Iran have proven themselves, and we need to thank the US for that. The meeting with Mnuchin was meant to continue and strengthen the strategic economic ties with the US.” Kahlon also met with US Special Representative for International Negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, to discuss promoting US-backed joint Israeli-Palestinian economic projects.