The Economy Ministry has issued a statement through its anti-money laundering division, providing a mixed reaction to the recent verdict of the Financial Action Task Force concerning Iran.
“Even though we regard the recent FATF decision as a step forward, we announce that this positive measure does not satisfy Iran so we will continue to follow up the matter to provide the Iranian people with their full rights,” the statement reads, according to Shada, the ministry’s official news outlet.
Late Friday, the plenary FATF meeting in Valencia, Spain, concluded by way of a unanimous decision that “Iran’s demonstration of its political commitment and the relevant steps it has taken in line with its Action Plan” warrant an indefinite extension of suspensions on countermeasures for Tehran to address its shortcomings.
However, the decision was not met with the full approval of Tehran since Iranian officials had hoped for a full removal from the blacklist of violating countries.
In the ministry’s statement, published by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the High Council on Anti-Money Laundering affiliated with the ministry and headed by the economy minister, it has been noted that since Iran adopted more serious measures in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism during the previous year, it deserved a better judgment.
Had the conditions of the country been evaluated strictly based on technical criteria, countermeasures would certainly be stopped in full, “but the enmity of the US and its regional allies prevented this from happening”.
A number of officials had stressed before the meeting of the global AML/CFT standard-setting body that the US is using its influence to sway FATF members in making a decision against Iran.
They cited an article in the Wall Street Journal by former US senators Joseph Lieberman and Mark Kirk with the lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran, which called for stricter measures against Iran as the latest string of evidence.