‘West Using FATF to Get More Concessions from Iran’

 

Seyyed Hassan Hosseini Shahroudi referred to the recent decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to prolong a freeze of some of its restrictions on Iran and said there is no doubt that the US and its western allies are seeking to mount pressure on Iran to gain more concessions from the Islamic Republic and secure their own interests in the region.

In a Farsi interview with ICANA, the MP said the FATF decision was made despite verifying the Islamic Republic’s continued compliance with the organizations’ directives.

He went on to say that “after our full compliance with the directives of the so-called international organization, we expected to see the other sides fulfil their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But now with the renewal of our sanctions under FATF, it seems that they are just exerting more pressure on Iran to obtain more concessions.”

The Iranian lawmaker said the West had promised to remove Iran from FATF’s blacklist after ensuring Tehran’s compliance with the directives of the organization, but the new decision of FATF reveals that some hidden hands are at work to exert more economic pressure on Iran to hamper its economic exchanges with the outside world.

The lawmaker also said the West is seeking to push Iran into a terrible condition to gain more concessions and added the Islamic Republic has fulfilled its commitments under the earlier agreements.

“Despite our full compliance with the mentioned deals, the other sides have repeatedly dishonoured their commitments,” he noted.

Hosseini Shahroudi referred to the hostility of the US and its western allies towards Iran and said as things stand, Iran’s banking system would continue to face many problems in the future.

“There is no doubt that the US and its western allies are just pursuing their own interests. To this end, they are developing certain policies to coerce international banks and financial institutions not to work with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

He also noted that the problems created by the West are hampering Iran’s banking and financial systems’ exchange with their international counterparts.

“So, we have no other way but to barter our goods and services for their goods and services and it will end up to our detriment,” he noted.

Given the high prices that Iran has paid for the JCPOA by fulfilling its commitments under the deal, the country now expects the other sides to show their sincerity by fulfilling their commitments and change their hostile stance towards Iran, the MP added.

“If the hostile policy keeps going on, we will have no way but to change our good-faith approach and take momentous decisions,” he concluded.