Friday Prayers across Iran: Criticizing Rouhani for the nuclear deal

(Ahmad Khatami delivering sermon in Tehran's Friday prayers. Source: Arash Mirsepasi/YJC)

This week’s Friday prayers across Iran focused on several themes, from extension of Iran Sanctions Act by the Senate and astronomical salaries’ scandal, to British PM Theresa May’s comments during a recent security summit in Bahrain. However, the centerpiece of sermons across the country was criticism of the nuclear deal, and scolding President Hassan Rouhani for his insistence on reaching an agreement with the West over Iran’s nuclear program.

This week, Ahmad Khatami served as the leader of Friday prayers in the capital Tehran. Speaking of the US’ Congress’ decision for a ten-year extension of sanctions against Iran, Khatami said that approving the bill would bring “eternal disgrace” for US President Barack Obama. However, Tehran’s Friday prayers’ imam expressed hope that Obama would escape this “Zionist trap” and refuse to sign the bill.

In the historical city of Isfahan in central Iran, Ayatollah Abolhassan Mahdavi reminded his congregation that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had frequently warned about Washington’s violation of the nuclear agreement and backpedalling on its promises. Mahdavi expressed satisfaction with unanimous condemnation of the US’ Senate’s decision, after a rift was created between pro- and anti-JCPOA factions last year. “The enemy will never leave you alone until you turn into one of them” he said. “This was proven in JCPOA and extension of sanctions.”

In Semnan, northern Iran, Ayatollah Shahcheraghi urged officials to show strong reaction, something “not … limited to slogans and speeches”. “This should be an actual reaction” he demanded. Shahgherachi placed the blame for JCPOA loopholes on the parliament and its haste in approval of the deal, pointing to the 20-minute session held for ratifying the JCPOA.

Meanwhile, across the country Friday prayers’ sermonizers criticized President Hassan Rouhani for his claim that every step taken in the nuclear negotiations had received approval from the Supreme Leader, calling it an excuse to evade responsibility for the supposedly harmful deal. “We should not be selective towards [Ayatollah Khamenei’s] remarks” said Ahmad Khatami in Tehran. “The Supreme Leader supported the JCPOA and the nuclear negotiators, but he also warned [about the pitfalls]”. In Qom, center of Iran’s Shia seminaries, Mohammad Saeidi criticized “those [who] were trying prettify the Great Satan”, that is, the United States, and reduced United States’ hostility towards Iran to a mere misunderstanding. “The Leadership had expressed his pessimism towards these [nuclear] talks, and it has become clear that America has made no changes in its evil intentions and tyrannical methods towards Iran” he said.

In Mashhad, ultraconservative sermonizer Ahmad Alamolhoda criticized Rouhani for trying to “drag the Supreme Leader” into the complicated situation of the JCPOA after the US’ Senate’s decision has jeopardized the agreement, while in Qazvin, northwestern Iran, Ali Ghabel, this week’s imam of the Friday prayers, reminded his audience that this summer, “the president had announced that he would shoulder all the responsibility for the JCPOA … but now it is said that the details of negotiations were checked with the Leadership.” Ghabel hoped that the “disgrace of JCPOA comes to an end as soon as possible.”