TEHRAN – President Ebrahim Raisi told his administration on Sunday that solving Iran’s economic problems should not be lined to the outcome of nuclear negotiations.
Addressing a session of his administration’s Economic Coordination Headquarters, Raisi stressed the need for utmost attention to the guidelines that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei gave regarding the economic problems on Saturday.
The president made it clear to all cabinet members and the Economic Coordination Headquarters that the criterion must be domestic capacities and reliance on active and young forces inside the country.
He called on the administration’s economic team to carefully and constantly work to fulfill the Leader’s economic guidelines.
On Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the new administration should focus its efforts on initiating a “revolutionary but rational and thoughtful reconstruction in all managerial fields”.
The Leader said the main problems of the country are high inflation, budget deficit, people’s livelihood issues, devaluation of the national currency, reduction of people’s purchasing power, and issues related to business climate and banking system.
President Raeisi has said he has chosen a cabinet to improve Iran’s economy and fight corruption. One of his key slogans on the campaign stump was to form a “popular government”.
Marking his first provincial trip two days after the formation of his cabinet, he paid an unannounced visit to Iran’s key province of Khuzestan on Friday.
The Leader said it is very important to restore the people’s trust and hope, because people’s trust is the biggest asset of the government.
“People will help you and walk the walk with you when they trust you and have hope in you. This is the biggest asset for a government if it can gain the trust of the people, which, of course, is unfortunately a bit damaged. You have to repair it, and the solution is for the words and actions of the officials to be the same.”
Ayatollah Khamenei urged the new administration not to hinge its hope on the results of negotiations in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal.
After six rounds of negotiations between Iran and the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal in Vienna, the Biden administration has shown an unusual urge to maintain the key elements of sanctions imposed by his predecessor as leverage to pressure the Islamic Republic.
Raisi said, “The current U.S. administration is no different from the previous administration. Its demand is the same as Trump’s demand and it has not changed at all. Behind the scenes of foreign policy, smile and self-righteous talk, America is a predatory wolf that sometimes turns into a cunning fox.”