Non-nuclear related USA sanctions on Iran, such as those relating to terrorism, will remain in place.
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Members of the military, and others, listen as Secretary of State John Kerry gives a foreign policy speech at National Defense University in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. They suggest the nuclear deal has emboldened Iran to indulge in bad behavior – like detaining the American sailors, whose two small boats apparently drifted into Iranian waters Tuesday.
But it was also due to the unusually close relationship between Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif – an American-educated diplomat who has spent time over months with Kerry in delicate negotiations that many predicted would fail. He has consulted once each with the Saudi deputy crown prince, Jordan’s king and the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the EU.
Kerry departed Wednesday evening to meet al-Jubeir in London.
Not everyone is happy with the new friendship between the once hostile foes.
While there were a series of additional short conversations between Kerry and Zarif throughout the day to exchange information, there was a final call at approximately 10:30 p.m. following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, when Kerry was assured everything was still on track for the sailors’ release.
“And when that happens, it will make us and our partners around the world more safe and secure”.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran pointed to Hila Sedighi as one of the very latest examples of this crackdown after the 30 year-old poet and civil activist was arrested at the airport on Thursday upon returning from a trip to the United Arab Emirates.
Since announcing the pact in July, Obama has done nothing as Iran launched two ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, fired conventional missiles that came with 1,500 yards of the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman and sent a ship to point a machine gun at an American vessel while a film crew recorded the event.
The record, however, has been mixed.
Iran’s detention of 10 USA sailors on Tuesday set off a furious round of meetings in both Washington and Tehran. US officials lost touch with the vessels, which ended up in Iranian waters, near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf.
Still, it’s important not to overstate any warmth between the USA and Iran.
Ali Asghar Zarean, in remarks to state TV said that Iran will first sign an agreement with China to modify the Arak reactor, a deal that is expected next week. The breakthrough call between Zarif and Kerry came around 3:15 pm. Iranian hardliners have criticized him for overstepping his limited mandate to speak with Kerry about nuclear matters.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One today that he didn’t know if President Obama had seen the video released by Iran of USA sailors kneeling with their hands behind their heads on a boat deck.
Ten U.S. serviceman were taking into custody by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on January 12 after they strayed into Iranian waters.
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The lifting of sanctions, which will include an end to an European Union embargo on the imports of Iranian oil, will have huge ramifications internationally, most notably on the global oil market as Tehran is expected to immediately add nearly half a million barrels per day to its crude exports. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
