TEHRAN: Ali Larijani, an adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has expressed hope for reaching a reasonable solution regarding the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) bills in Iran. During a visit to the headquarters of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in Tehran on Saturday, Larijani said a joint commission has been formed within the Expediency Council to review the FATF bills.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Larijani noted that the opinions of the council's members differ, but he remains optimistic that the outcome of the examinations and the final decision will benefit the country. Larijani, who served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020, emphasized the importance of reaching a reasonable solution.

Under former President Hassan Rouhani's administration, four bills were introduced on the FATF, including amendments to laws on combating terrorist financing and anti-money laundering, as well as Iran's accession to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo) and the Convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).

While the first two bills were approved by the Iranian parliament and ratified by the Constitutional Council, the remaining two faced disagreements between the administration, parliament, the Constitutional Council, and the Expediency Council. Late last month, President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that the Expediency Council would re-examine the bills to potentially lift FATF restrictions on Iran's banking system.

Asked about his prediction of the Expediency Council's decision, Larijani humorously responded, 'I am not one of the men of the unseen.'