Behind-the-scene Wrangling over the Nuclear Strategy

Shervin Omidvar, Rooz Online:

Three days after Baztab news site (belonging to Former Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohsen Rezai) published harsh attacks against Hassan Rohani, the former header of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and accused him of undermining the governments nuclear policy, Iran’s former deputy Defense Minister accused Rohani of disrupting the diplomatic accomplishments and arrangements of the Islamic Republic, as quoted by Iran News news agency. READ MORE

Before Iran's nuclear file had become an international issue, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran or its chairman was almost unknown to the public. But three years ago when Iran’s secret nuclear activities were discovered and publicly exposed, prompting the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to demand an explanation from Iran, the SNSC grew to prominence when Hassan Rohani, who was at the time the number two man at the Iranian parliament (i.e. Majlis) was appointed to head the SNSC, and lead Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the IAEA.

In the power struggle between the moderates and the hardliners in those days, who should lead Iran’s nuclear talks with the international community was yet another battleground between the two contesting groups. Kamal Kharazi, the moderate foreign minister of moderate president Khatami was pursuing the policy of relaxation of tension with the international community, while the hardliners wanted a pushier approach. Rohani at that time was the number two man in the Majlis (Iran’s parliament) and he was the candidate of the right to lead the talks. So he was appointed to the SNSC and tasked to talk to the international community. Kharazi lost the battle and the right celebrated their victory.

When the hardliners won the presidential elections last June and Ahmadinejad moved to the presidential palace, Rohani was pushed aside, becoming Khamenei’s representative at the SNSC while Larijani, himself a presidential candidate who did not make it, was appointed to head the SNSC and the nuclear talks. Soon, the hardliners began their attacks and onslaughts on the former SNSC members. They accused them of revealing the country’s nuclear secrets, being scared to confront the international community in what they viewed as Iran’s inherent rights, and even filed a criminal case in the courts against one SNSC member, Cyrus Nasseri, which prompted him not to return to Iran when on a foreign trip. Even when leader Khamenei praised Rohani for his dedicated work on the nuclear issue, hardliners continued their attacks and accusations against Rohani.

Rohani remained silent and composed. Eventually though at ayatollah Khomeini’s burial grounds, he responded to the accusations, saying that Iran’s interests would not be met by “screaming and yelling.” To succeed, he continued, Iran needed to remain engaged with the international community, a reference to Ahmadinejad’s complete international isolation and the breakdown of talks with the Europeans because of his belligerent and confrontational policies. He concluded his remarks by saying that the Iranian nation expected its leaders to complete the nuclear task with the minimum costs, and that the country needed a multi-dimensional strategy over the nuclear issue.

The recent publication of Rohani’s talk in Rahbord magazine [see previous issues of Rooz] led to a new round of attacks on him by hardlines. Baztab web site criticized Rohani’s performance and called his current positions as detrimental to the country, even claiming his words threatened national security. Just two days ago, Alireza Akbari a former deputy defense minister too jumped on the bandwagon and accused Rohani of disrupting the country’s diplomatic achievements and arrangements by revealing classified information. He said that Rohani’s words that Iran was hiding its nuclear activities from the IAEA created the necessary legal grounds for the UN nuclear watchdog to report Iran to the UN Security Council. As the reader can see, the grounds are being laid for putting the blame of future failures on the old hands. But is that something new?