Iran International:

When a key advisory body in Iran started "revisiting" the contentious issue of acceding to international monetary conventions, it not only faced opposition from hardliners but also raised questions about whether the Supreme Leader has moderated his stance.

The Expediency Discernment Council (EDC), reportedly authorized by Ali Khamenei to undertake this review, was created to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, the body responsible for granting final approval to all legislation.

Economy Minister Naser Hemmati recently announced on social media that the Supreme Leader has approved a "revisiting" of Iran's accession to anti-money laundering and terrorism financing conventions.

Khamenei has not made any public statements on the matter so far.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization established to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other threats to the international financial system. Iran was first placed on its blacklist primarily due to its failure to meet international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

Many observers believe that the rapid deterioration of the Iranian economy, coupled with demands by the presidential administration and many politicians in Tehran, may have led Khamenei to give the green light for resolving the matter.

In an interview published by Euro News on Tuesday and widely covered by Iranian media, Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan, former deputy of Iran's Central Bank, expressed that he had "the feeling" President Masoud Pezeshkian had reached an agreement with Khamenei to resolve the issue.

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