The announcement of a nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) has been welcomed by most Iranians and Reformist media. The prospect of sanctions relief has overjoyed many Iranians who have sensed the crushing impact of sanctions. But the nuclear concessions Iran made in exchange for those sanctions relief has some Iranian conservatives worried on non-nuclear related issues.
The problem for many conservatives is that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on the nuclear program, has generally supported the deal. In his only response, through an open letter thanking the president and his negotiation team for their efforts, Khamenei wrote that the deal was “an important step.” However, he also warned that the text of the agreement “should be considered carefully” and “once ratified, be careful of possible violations of the opposing side.” He added, “You know well that some of the six opposing governments cannot be trusted.”
