TEHRAN - In a note, Jam-e-Jam discussed the opinion of the supporters and opponents of FATF and wrote: Acceptance or non-acceptance of the FATF demands has been the subject of political debates in the country for several years.

Those in favor consider joining FATF as a basic requirement to enter global markets and remove financial barriers facing Iranian businessmen. They believe that not joining the institution is one of the main obstacles to removing financial sanctions coupled with economic and commercial problems for the country. On the other side, the opponents believe that this institution, as part of the economic tool of the West, seeks to establish supremacy over the global economy. Opponents of FATF believe that joining the institution can threaten Iran's economic independence. What is clear is that no person inside and no institution outside the country can guarantee that accepting the controversial demands of FATF can lead to the removal of Iran from the FATF blacklist. Since the voting mechanism is based on consensus all main member countries must vote to remove Iran from the blacklist.

Ettelaat: Shadow of sanctions will not go away from Iran's economy anytime soon!

In an interview with Ahmad Janjan, an economic analyst, Ettelaat discussed the issue of sanctions and their effects on Iran's economy. He said: Unfortunately, Iran has experienced economic crises in various forms in recent decades, and this phenomenon has become more important in recent years due to the cruel sanctions of the United States. The signing of the JCPOA (before Trump’s exit) had a (positive) influence on the economic conditions of the country and of course the living conditions of the people. It became possible to attract foreign capital and increase oil exports and other commodities. Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the nuclear deal has caused obstacles to Iran's economic interactions with the outside world. It must be admitted that the shadow of sanctions will not go away from Iran's economy anytime soon. The government and officials should design and implement short-term and long-term plans to manage the country's economic situation and overcome the problems.

Etemad: Misunderstanding the FATF

Etemad talked with Mahmoud Sadeghi, a law professor and reformist political activist, about misunderstandings regarding the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). He said: Some radical wings claim that the acceptance of FATF will push Iran toward many problems, and Iran's national security will be endangered. But it is not like that. Countries will have obligations and cooperation towards each other. If a report from a member country reaches the supervisory body based on the mechanisms and standards that have been accepted by all countries, the supervisory body has to investigate the case, make a decision based on its internal system, and announce the result. There is no coercion. There is only a kind of cooperation. But an illusion has been created that all financial transactions in Iran will come under the monitoring of the body.  Some are worried that Iran will face problems in bypassing the sanctions. But today you do not have a more secure country than Russia and China. Russia is embroiled in war and sanctions. However, these two countries are members of FATF.

Arman-e-Melli: Iran-Europe efforts to reach an agreement

In an article, Arman-e-Melli discussed the second round of talks between Iran and Europe in Geneva. It wrote: It seems that Iran and Europe should negotiate on various issues. The most important bottleneck is the nuclear file, which apparently the Europeans have decided to send from the Council of Governors of the IAEA to the United Nations Security Council. Negotiations related to the nuclear issue are under the heavy shadow of the war in Ukraine because the Europeans believe that Iran has provided drones and missiles to Russia. Therefore, the prerequisite for the start of nuclear negotiations between Iran and Europe is to remove some obstacles. According to what has been announced, the JCPOA will expire in about 10 months, and possibly Iran's nuclear program will take its normal course, otherwise, it will be more difficult to resolve the nuclear case let alone sign a comprehensive agreement. Therefore, it seems that Iran and Europe intend to reach a compromise so that clinching a new nuclear agreement would not face more difficulties or obstacles.