TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday endorsed a landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers, but warned the government to be vigilant, saying the United States cannot be trusted.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, endorsed the deal in a letter to moderate President Hassan Rouhani that was read on state TV. Until now he had declined to publicly approve or reject the deal while expressing support for Iran’s negotiators.

The agreement reached in July with the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany would curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of crippling international sanctions.

Western nations have long suspected Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons alongside its civilian programme, charges rejected by Tehran, which insists its program is entirely peaceful.

The agreement has been the subject of fierce debate within Iran, with hard-liners arguing that the negotiators gave up too much ground. They also fear the agreement could lead to a broader rapprochement with the United States, which they still deride as the “Great Satan”.

Iran’s parliament approved the deal in two stormy sessions that saw lawmakers shout at one another and at least one hard-line parliamentarian burst into tears. Iran’s constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, ratified the bill a week ago, marking the last legal step for official approval.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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