31 October 2015 - 07:39
Tehran Friday prayers leader:  Execution of Nimr would undermine Saudi regime

A senior Iranian cleric says Saudi Arabia’s possible execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr would deal another strike to the kingdom.

“It is not clear how long Saudi rulers are going to commit mistakes because with every mistake [they make] the Al Saud regime edges closer to annihilation,” said Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahhedi Kermani in an address to worshipers at weekly Friday Prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

He urged Saudi rulers to act wisely and prudently, warning that Nimr’s possible execution will come at a heavy expense for the Saudi regime.

On October 25, the Saudi Supreme Court upheld a death sentence issued last year against Nimr for inciting sectarian strife and disobeying King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The cleric has denied the charges.

Nimr’s lawyer, Sadeq al-Jubran, has also said that Nimr could be executed as soon as the Saudi monarch approves his sentence.

Iran's Serious Stance on Implementation of JCPOA

He called on the Iranian negotiators and officials to be vigilant and take good care to see if the EU and the US comply with their commitments regarding the JCPOA.

On October 15, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced that Tehran has completed all steps that it needed to take under the roadmap of cooperation that the two sides signed in Vienna in July to resolve Tehran's past and present outstanding issues.

"In the period to 15 October 2015, activities set out in the 'Road-map for the clarification of past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program' were completed," a statement by the IAEA said.

"By 15 December 2015, the Director General will provide, for action by the Board of Governors, the final assessment on the resolution of all past and present outstanding issues, as set out in the annex of the 2011 Director General’s report," it added.

IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi signed a roadmap of cooperation in Vienna on July 14.

After the roadmap was signed, Salehi announced that the new agreement would fully settle all unresolved issues pertaining to Tehran's nuclear activities in the past.

"All past issues will be resolved completely after Iran and the Agency adopt some measures," Salehi told reporters after signing an agreement called the Iran-IAEA Cooperation 'Roadmap'.

"I hope that a new chapter in the relations and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA will start after the settlement of the past issues," Salehi added.

Salehi made the remarks in Vienna just a short time after diplomats acknowledged a sum-up agreement had been made between world powers and Iran.

On September 20, Amano was granted access to Parchin as efforts are stepped up to resolve by year end "ambiguities" about Iran's past nuclear activities.

"Amano paid a formal visit to Parchin, and visited some workshops about which there has been some false information," Spokesman of the AEOI Behrouz Kamalvandi said at the time.

The Vienna-based IAEA also confirmed the site visit.

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