Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi listed its priorities in the new parliament.
Meeting the press in Tehran on Tuesday, he said 23 members of the commission, in a meeting earlier in the day, agreed that the number-one priority is to support the intelligence and security apparatus in their efforts to protect national security.
"Closing borders to criminals and terrorists is an important step to promote security. The commission will strongly support the continued efforts against trafficking of humans and goods, which endanger tranquility and economic security in the country," ICANA quoted him as saying.
***Monitoring JCPOA
The lawmaker said the second priority of the commission is safeguarding Iran's nuclear-related interests.
"Monitoring developments related to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the removal of sanctions...will be on our radar."
JCPOA is the formal name of the July 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, which went into effect in January to temporarily limit Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
Boroujerdi said the third priority for the commission will be foreign policy.
"Supporting the oppressed people of Palestine until the liberation of all parts of the occupied territories, backing [the Lebanese resistance movement] Hezbollah and other resistance groups, helping the people of Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and Iraq and supporting the fight against terrorism will be high on our agenda."
The principlist politician also said the commission will seek to help build and expand economic ties with regional countries, especially neighbors, based on the Resistance Economy, a set of policies proposed by the Leader of Islamic Revolution to promote self-reliance, support domestic manufactures and reduce dependency on oil export income.
***Augmenting Deterrence Power
On the fourth priority, the MP referred to defense capabilities, especially Iran's missile power.
"The defense policy of the Islamic Republic is based on deterrence and its military might is not a threat to any country," he said. "We are a country that has suffered an imposed eight-year war [the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war] and we will not allow such a plot be hatched against us again."
To this end, we need to "increase our defense power and develop our missiles as our most important component of deterrence."
The first session of the key commission, whose composition was determined earlier this month, was held Sunday along with separate votes for the posts related to on its presiding board.
In the vote for chairmanship, Boroujerdi, who had chaired the commission in the two previous parliaments, was reelected with 15 votes in favor.
Principlists Kazem Jalali, Javad Karimi Qoddousi and reformist Mostafa Kavakebian are other prominent members of one of the most crucial bodies of the 290-member legislature.
