Iran's Expediency Council will hold a decisive vote on the country's accession to two controversial international conventions after years of deliberation, the council's spokesman announced on April 16, IRNA reported.

"The Expediency Council intends to carefully listen to the opinions of both supporters and opponents of the Palermo and CFT bills, as well as expert opinions from the government and parliament, and finally make a decision based on the people's welfare and national interests," said Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesman for the Expediency Council.

The two bills under review are critical components of Iran's efforts to comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) requirements. Iran has been on the FATF blacklist since 2008, with temporary suspensions between 2016 and 2020 during implementation of an action plan. The organisation has consistently called on Iran to address deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks.

Of the 41 action plans required for FATF compliance, Iran has approved 39 – including an anti-money laundering bill and an amendment to its counter-terrorist financing law. However, the Palermo Convention and the CFT have remained contentious, with conservatives arguing they could compromise Iran's sovereignty and security interests.

The Expediency Council has been deliberating on these bills since 2018, when they were passed by parliament but rejected by the Guardian Council, creating a legislative impasse that requires the Expediency Council's intervention. The Expediency Council is a powerful administrative assembly appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader. It was established to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council.

Dehnavi confirmed that the fifth meeting of the joint commission of the Expediency Council was held on April 16 morning to review the two conventions – the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo) and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).

"The review of the clauses of these two bills has been completed in the joint commission," he added.

The spokesman noted that the full council meeting would be held on April 16 afternoon with the heads of the three branches of government present, with the agenda focused on Iran's accession to these two conventions.

"After hearing the views of the parliament, government and experts, the council will proceed to voting," Dehnavi explained.

According to the council's procedural rules, the bills will be reviewed clause by clause in the full council session. "After the joint commission presents its report, first the parliament and then the Guardian Council and government will present their views," he said.

"Subsequently, for each clause, two supporters and two opponents will express their opinions, followed by voting," Dehnavi added.

The final vote could mark a significant shift in Iran's approach to international financial regulations, potentially affecting its economic relations with global partners at a time when the country continues to face severe economic challenges under sanctions.

Proponents, including President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, argue that approving these conventions would help remove barriers to Iran's international banking relations and facilitate trade despite Western sanctions.