A member of Iran’s parliament said on Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opposed a 2015 nuclear deal but ultimately complied after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged support for Tehran's negotiators.
Nezamoddin Mousavi, former head of the IRGC's Fars News agency, told another Guards-linked outlet Tasnim News that the military organization was never satisfied with the deal, and that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei never trusted the United States but insisted on supporting Iran’s negotiators.
"The Leader had a clear framework regarding the negotiations," Mousavi said. "He was not hopeful about them and viewed the United States as untrustworthy. But at the same time, he believed the negotiators should be treated with respect."
"The IRGC shared this view, and I understood that we should maintain respect for (foreign minister) Zarif and ensure a unified voice was heard from us, so it wouldn’t appear that there were two centers of authority in the country.” he added.
The remarks give rare insight into the policy outlook of the sprawling military group that is central to Tehran's domestic security and military stance abroad.
They appear to expose new details on the decision-making behind the doomed 2015 international nuclear deal that has become especially irksome to Iran's leadership after a provision paved the way for UN sanctions to be reimposed last month.
Hardliners in Iran have long criticized former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for accepting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s (JCPOA) snapback mechanism, viewing it as a concession that ultimately enabled the reimposition of sanctions on September 28.
The snapback mechanism allows any participant including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran in the event of alleged violations, without the possibility of a veto.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday he was surprised by Iran’s agreement to the snapback condition, calling it a “legal trap.”
“To be honest, we were surprised. But if our Iranian partners accepted this formulation—which, frankly, was a legal trap—we had no grounds to object,” Lavrov said.
‘With the Supreme Leader'
Mousavi, who as head of Revolutionary Guards-linked Fars News agency attended government and IRGC meetings on the Iran deal, said the Guards never promised to restrict their activities beyond the deal’s commitments.
He added that the Iranian government at the time was unhappy with the Guards’ missile tests and military exercises, causing internal disputes.
“We must respect the ruling bodies, and the IRGC is part of the establishment. The IRGC does not follow an expert’s command; it aligns with the Supreme Leader,” Mousavi said.
“If officials sign agreements beyond Iran’s commitments, the IRGC won’t accept them, but this does not imply belief in dual governance. After Americans failed to uphold their commitments, these revolutionary bodies demanded accountability.”
“Our clear and fundamental criticisms of the JCPOA are evident and have been published in media like Fars News Agency and Tasnim. Other sessions were held for finalization - not necessarily involving Mr. Zarif or government officials - and I saw no one convinced by the process or willing to justify it,” Mousavi added.
The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 under the first Trump administration. In response, Iran gradually reduced its compliance with the JCPOA and began enriching uranium at higher levels in 2019.
In June, Israel launched a surprise military offensive targeting Iran’s military and nuclear facilities, including assassinations of top officials. Iran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile strikes.
The United States entered the conflict on June 22 with strikes on key nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, but brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of fighting on June 24.
Following the attacks, Iran halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the diplomatic impasse over Iran's nuclear activities continues.
“To be honest, we were surprised. But if our Iranian partners accepted this formulation - which, frankly, was a legal trap - we had no grounds to object,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.
Last month, UN sanctions were reimposed on Iran after France, Germany, and the United Kingdom triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, accusing Tehran of spurning diplomacy and nuclear inspections.
The snapback mechanism was part of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It allows any participant, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran in the event of alleged violations, without the possibility of a veto.
Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and calls the new sanctions aggressive and illegal.
Hardliners in Iran have long criticized Zarif for accepting the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism, viewing it as a concession that ultimately enabled the reimposition of sanctions.
“That provision was, in fact, agreed upon during the final stage of the direct negotiations" between Iran's then top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif and his US counterpart John Kerry, Lavrov added.
“The other participants were essentially observers at that point, watching the US and Iran reach an agreement."
“What happened instead is that Iran did not breach the deal, yet the United States withdrew from it, and the Europeans failed to meet their commitments,” Lavrov said.
Fate of the deal
The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 during first President Donald Trump’s administration. In response, Iran gradually reduced its compliance with the JCPOA and in 2019 began enriching uranium at higher levels.
Zarif expressed frustration with Russia’s role in a leaked 2022 interview, saying, “When the JCPOA was signed, Russia made every possible effort in the final week to prevent the agreement from being concluded.”
Israel launched a surprise military offensive in June, striking Iran’s military and nuclear facilities and targeting top officials. Iran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile attacks.
The United States entered the conflict on June 22 with strikes on key nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, and later brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of fighting on June 24.
Following the attacks, Iran halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“Diplomacy will never be suspended, but we did not take part in a summit chaired by a party that takes pride in an illegal attack against our country,” Baghaei said, referring to the Monday meeting in Egypt that was led by US President Donald Trump.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, attended by leaders from the United States, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, followed the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that ended two years of war in Gaza. The deal included the release of 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Baghaei said the meeting “had no international credibility” because it was not held under the supervision of the United Nations and several major countries, including China and Russia, were not invited. “A gathering of limited participants cannot claim to represent the global community,” he said, according to state radio.
He added that Iran viewed the conference as politically one-sided, given that it was chaired by “a party that not only supported but also celebrated illegal strikes against Iran earlier this year.”
In June, the United States joined Israel in a series of attacks on Iranian nuclear sites after indirect talks between Tehran and Washington stalled over enrichment and inspection terms. The strikes destroyed parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and killed scientists and soldiers, according to Iranian officials.
Baghaei said Iran’s position on Gaza remained unchanged. “Our clear priority is ending the genocide in Gaza, ensuring the return of displaced residents and securing the withdrawal of the occupiers,” he said. “As long as the Palestinian right to self-determination is not recognized, no plan will lead to real peace.”
Iran rejects Trump’s remarks on peace
His remarks came after the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s comments about a possible peace deal with Tehran, calling them contradictory to US behavior. Trump said during the summit in Egypt that “it would be great if we made a peace deal with them,” and later told reporters that Iran “has been battered and bruised” by sanctions but would “come along” to negotiations.
Tehran said such comments could not be taken seriously in light of US sanctions and the June attacks. “How can one speak of peace while attacking residential areas and peaceful nuclear facilities and killing innocent people?” the ministry said on Monday.
Baghaei said Iran continued to rely on diplomacy “to safeguard national interests and promote peace,” emphasizing that participation in international affairs “is not limited to physical presence at summits.”
“The Islamic Republic has always used diplomacy as a tool to protect its sovereignty and to pursue peace and stability,” he said. “This approach will continue, but it will not come at the cost of our national dignity.”
