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Khamenei questions US commitment to nuke deal

As implementation of the nuclear deal begins, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that the United States may not live up to its obligations.

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The website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei published a letter today, warning that the United States may still undermine its obligations in the nuclear deal, Jan. 19, 2016. — Mehr News Agency

While most Iranian officials are praising the implementation of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers that required Iran to reduce its nuclear capabilities for sanctions relief, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed concern that the United States may fall short on its obligations in the nuclear deal.

In response to a letter from President Hassan Rouhani, Khamenei’s website published a response thanking the president, the nuclear negotiators and specifically Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for their efforts in the negotiations and removing the sanctions. However, Khamenei added five points of concern.

Khamenei wrote that Rouhani should be “careful that the opposing side completely fulfills its commitments,” and that “statements by some American politicians in the last two, three days have caused suspicions.”

Khamenei's second point was that “all the officials should be warned that the solution to the country’s economic problems are tied to uninterrupted and wise efforts toward the resistance economy. Lifting the sanctions alone is not enough to open up the economy and [improve] people’s livelihood.” Iran's “resistance economy” calls for building its own domestic capacities to make the country less vulnerable to foreign economic turmoil and sanctions.

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