Sa’eed Jalili on the campaign trail

US Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) talks with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a rally with fellow Democrats before voting on H.R. 1, or the People Act, on the East Steps of the US Capitol on March 08, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP photo)
Sa’eed Jalili speaks during the first presidential debate before the June 18 election, in Tehran, on June 5, 2021. (Photo by YJC)

Read quick updates on what Sa’eed Jalili says on the campaign trail below. Check routinely for new content.

[Saturday, June 12, 2021]

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[Thursday, June 10, 2021]

Meeting a group of youth on Thursday, Jalili said the next administration should consider art as the key to success in other areas and work actively to showcase the country’s cinema and music on the global stage.

He said the minister of culture and Islamic guidance should have a proper understanding of art and take an interest in the sphere, criticizing of the previous decision-makers for having had nothing to do at all with culture and art, let alone being fans.

“If the administration seeks success in other fields, it should consider art as a necessity, and view it not passively but proactively,” Jalili added. “Why wouldn’t our cinema rival with that of the Hollywood? Our music should be showcased to the world.”

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[Thursday, June 10, 2021]

In an interview during a news segment on IRIB Channel 2 later in the day, Jalili spoke of his agenda to deal with the economic woes facing the country’s young generation, especially unemployment.

“One of the plans that we will pursue in the next administration is creating one million jobs for the youth in the next four years, and we have an agenda for that,” he said.

Under the Iranian Constitution, Jalili added, everyone is entitled to have a proper, satisfactory job, “and we have examined this issue and designed a range of plans for that.”

Jalili said the country has great potentials in the fields of mining, industry, fishing, and tourism, among other areas, which should be activated.

Besides, many of the administration’s research projects could be assigned to the youth to help them enter the jobs market, he said.

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[Wednesday, June 9, 2021]

In a meeting with representatives of cooperatives, Jalili said a comprehensive governance plan plus “a strong will and faith” can make Iran “take a leap forward” in the next four years to come, given the many capabilities, resources and opportunities that the country has today.

He said there were 16 obstacles in the way of Iran’s economic growth, which should be removed with the help of cooperatives and unions, among others.

Jalili said the next administration should first wok to restore stability to the country’s economy, something which requires the next administration “not to keep the country waiting for this negotiation or that convention.”

Presidential candidate Sa’eed Jalili addresses representatives of Iranian cooperatives at a meeting in Tehran, June 9, 2021.

“The enemies sought to use the same thing [against the country]…Today, we need to have economic interactions with the world in order to stabilize the economy, and that would be possible. The solution is to rid [the enemies] of their leverage to hinder or delay your progress,” Jalili said.

Jalili emphasized the importance of banking exchanges amid tough sanctions on Iran’s economic sector, saying he had been studying solutions together with the youth and activists and concluded that it would be possible to facilitate such exchanges, despite the sanctions.

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[Tuesday, June 8, 2021]

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[Monday, June 7, 2021]

Speaking to reporters, Jalili said opportunities should be seized to establish “constructive and extensive” relations with different world states instead of keeping the country waiting for a removal of the Western sanctions or for membership of the so-called Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He said he and his colleagues in the “shadow administration” had drawn up a plan “based on realities and the country’s capacities,” which indicate Iran can “take a leap forward” in the next four years.

“The most significant conclusion that we drew in the area of foreign policy was that we need to have constructive and extensive interactions with the world,” Jalili said. “We believe we should not wait for a few Western states and keep domestic issues waiting for them.”

“In the field of foreign policy, we have good opportunities, which need to be properly identified in order for the country to achieve growth,” he added.

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[Sunday, June 6, 2021]

On a televised show named “the President and the Youth,” Jalili referred to the recent crash in the Iranian stock market that caused many stock holders to lose a huge part of their assets, saying he had a plan to “minimize the risks” posed to small shareholders and ensure their “financial security.”

The plan, he said, would be based on cooperation among the Central Bank of Iran, the Central Insurance of Iran, and the Securities and Exchange Organization.

Jalili highlighted the need for efforts to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, saying the country’s resources should be fairly distributed both among different geographical divisions and various strata of the society.

To tackle discrimination, he said he had drawn up different plans, including a plan centering around a fair distribution of energy resources, a plan meant to ensure the people’s food security, and a plan for facilitating travel.

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[Saturday, June 5, 2021]

Jalili, a former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), said in the first presidential debate on Saturday that in order to remove economic depression in remote parts of Iran, the administration should first believe in the practice.

“When we speak about removing economic depression, it’s not just about [providing] basic rights; it’s also about people’s recreation and health,” he said.

Jalili said people wonder why economic difficulties are not resolved even though all the answers seem to be there. He said the reason was that the current administration sought to run the country “by staging shows.”

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