Ayatollah’s Comments Apparently Signal End for Those Responsible for Nuclear Deal

Apparently Ayatolah Khamenei’s comments last week about having made a mistake by allowing Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif to get the country into the U.S.- led nuclear agreement, seems to have been only the tip of the iceberg. Consistent with the Supreme Ruler’s emphasis on the missing economic upsurge that was supposed to accompany the deal but never materialized, the finance minister is next in the dock, facing possible impeachment or worse. Lawmakers have begun the first step toward Finance Minister Masoud Karbasian’s ouster, which is also seen as an attack on President Rouhani. With the rial at half its April value, those who were not part of the group seeking the deal with the United States and Western powers are becoming aggressive toward those who argued the inevitable economic benefits of the agreement. President Trump’s withdrawal from the pact and the re-implementation of sanctions is having a significant impact on Iran’s economy and simultaneously fueling a potential political upheaval.