Tehran's Friday Prayers leader warns officials against joining FATF

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers leader Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi warned senior officials against the negative consequences of endorsement and implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.

Addressing a large gathering of Tehraners during Friday prayers sermon today, Ayatollah Sedighi called on the government to rely on the internal resources instead of foreign countries in face of an economic war waged against the country.

The senior cleric warned that the enemies of the Islamic Republic are always trying to find a way to dominate the Iranian nation and prevent their independence and development.

Noting that the 2015 nuclear deal was one of such measures by the enemies, which only worsened the people’s living conditions, Ayatollah Sedighi said FATF is nothing but another tool to push the global arrogance’s goals forward against Iran.

“FATF is one of the tools of the enemies’ conspiracies, and they put a great emphasis on it,” he said.

He also criticized the government officials for pushing the Parliament and other legal apparatuses of the Establishment towards approving the bills.

Iran’s Expediency Council is currently reviewing the two remaining FATF-related bills, namely the Palermo and CFT, that the country has been required by FATF to endorse, with the general atmosphere against the endorsement of the bills.

Those against the endorsement of the FATF-related bills say the move would impose further restrictions on Iran’s economic relations while the country is under US severe sanctions.

On Wednesday (December 25), Former FATF President and the current Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing in US, Marshall Billingslea, admitted to having used the global anti-money laundering body as an opportunity to galvanize the international community against Iran.

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