U.S. campaign forces debate on the definition of terrorism in Iran
The Iranian parliament on Sunday passed a bill, with a vote of 143 to
120, to accede to the UN’s International Convention for the Suppression
of the Financing of Terrorism.
WASHINGTON – A broad American sanctions campaign has prompted
contentious political debate in Iran on whether to reform its policy
toward “terrorism” financing, and to what extent.
The Iranian parliament on Sunday passed a bill, with a vote of 143 to
120, to accede to the UN’s International Convention for the Suppression
of the Financing of Terrorism, pending final approval from the nation’s
Guardian Council. The move comes amid pressure on the government of
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani from banks and private sector
businesses to demonstrate a change in direction from its longstanding
policy of supporting armed extremist and political opposition groups
worldwide.At the heart of their debate is the definition of terrorism
itself. Tehran claims an exception to the UN convention’s
characterization of terrorist organizations, and asserts that violence
in the name of national liberation does not constitute terrorism.
Thus the Trump administration has dismissed the Iranian debate, and
according to one senior administration official, sees no signs of reform
from the Rouhani government ahead of a November deadline for the
reimposition of harsh US sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas sector.
For the moment, however, Tehran seems more focused on meeting standards
set by Brussels than by those in Washington. European Commission
officials say their case for continuing sanctions relief on Iran under a
2015 nuclear deal will be made easier if Iran meets the standards of an
intergovernmental organization known as the Financial Action Task
Force. This has been a priority for Rouhani, according to state media.
But in consecutive speeches from the president, national security
adviser and secretary of state, the US government has laid out a clear
bar for change that the Iranians swear they will not meet: an end to
their support for militant organizations destabilizing nations across
the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Israel.
As a practical matter, this is the only standard that will matter to the
businesses and financial institutions that will soon be forced to
choose between access to the Iranian and US marketplaces.
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