TEHRAN – The Guardian Council has announced that it will review the Iran-Russia strategic agreement if it passes through Parliament, in accordance with Articles 77 and 125 of the Constitution.

Hadi Tahan Nazif, jurist member and spokesperson of Iran’s Guardian Council, presented a detailed account of the body’s recent legal reviews and official positions on a range of legislative and strategic matters, including international agreements, legal reforms, electoral participation, and national development policies in a press conference on Saturday.

He announced that over the past month, the Guardian Council had reviewed eight parliamentary bills, seven statutes of state-owned companies, and four inquiries from the Administrative Justice Court. Among the key approvals were the prisoner transfer agreement with Uzbekistan, amendments to the law on arms smuggling, and agreements involving arbitration with South Korea and customs cooperation with Japan. The Council also approved Iran’s increased shares in World Bank institutions and the country’s accession to the Vienna and Strasbourg classification agreements on trademarks and patents.

However, not all proposals were cleared. The prisoner transfer agreement with Venezuela was rejected on the grounds of violating Islamic principles, while the amendment to Article 87 of the Civil Service Law was turned down following objections raised by the Supreme Oversight Committee of the Expediency Council.

Addressing broader legal and constitutional responsibilities, Tahan Nazif reaffirmed the Council’s role in reviewing legislation for consistency with both Islamic principles and the Constitution, stating that this duty extends well beyond electoral matters. He added that the Council reviews finalized legislation and will address any new laws or amendments, especially those aligned with modern technological developments and national needs.

On Iran’s involvement in the CFT and Palermo conventions, Nazif clarified that the Guardian Council had only objected to the CFT. Due to Parliament’s insistence on moving both conventions forward, their final assessment now falls under the Expediency Council’s Supreme Oversight Committee. While the Guardian Council’s advisory presence in the Expediency Council is not formalized, its representatives participate in relevant meetings to present legal perspectives.