The chairman of the Assembly of Experts reiterated Iran's stance that recent nuclear deal with major powers will not alter foreign policy, stressing that westerners will not be allowed to turn Iran to a consumerist society.
In remarks echoing those recently made by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi said, "As the Leader has cautioned, we need to be careful not to let the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the deal's official title] affect our foreign policy."
"The Americans should know that their dream of Iran ending up as another of its consumerist markets will never come true," he said in his address in the opening ceremony of the 18th meeting of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Tuesday.
As agreed between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) under the mid-July nuclear accord, sanctions against Tehran are expected to begin to be lifted in a few months in exchange for temporary limits on the Iranian nuclear program.
The prospect of Tehran's market opening up to foreigners after relief from sanctions has attracted flocks of overseas businesses.
On the resistance economy, he said, "Officials must beware of neglecting the resistance economy during the hustle and bustle of meetings with various foreign delegations."
"Our priority should be boosting domestic production."
The resistance economy is a set of principles proposed by the Leader to reduce reliance on oil revenues and bolster domestic production to counter any foreign economic pressure.
***Sweeping Authority
Referring to the next parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, due to take place concurrently on February 26, 2016, the key member of the Guardian Council said the body's role to oversee the polls is more than just a formality and carries practical authority.
"The Interior Ministry is an administrator, while the Guardian Council is an [active] overseer to elections, a role which is not merely ceremonial. The council takes its role very seriously."
"The overseeing role spans the whole process of elections from registration of candidates to publication of results," the senior cleric was quoted by IRNA as saying.
A bill passed in June requires the JCPOA to undergo parliamentary review before going into effect.
"In our view and as stated in the Constitution, any agreement binding on the country must become subject to review by the Majlis, which should then take a legal decision," Yazdi said, adding, "The Supreme National Security Council must examine the deal as well."
President Hassan Rouhani, Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani and Chairman of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati were among those present in Tuesday's meeting.
Major topics on the agenda of the two-day meeting, chaired by Ayatollah Yazdi, are the nuclear negotiations, the JCPOA review and regional issues.
Members of the top-level clerical body are due to meet the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Thursday after a visit to the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic.
