A Swiss air force plane carrying three Americans released by Iran has landed in Geneva.
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Rouhani, a moderate whose 2013 election victory helped launch a huge diplomatic effort toward the deal struck on July 14 in Vienna, said implementation of the agreement did not harm any country.
“[Iran is] not a threat to any government or nation…”
According to the official IRNA news agency, the seven freed Iranians are Nader Modanlo, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahraman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboonchi.
The president spoke at the close of an extraordinary weekend that saw back-to-back the release of five imprisoned Americans and the termination of billions in worldwide sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear accord.
White House officials said earlier Sunday that recently detained student Matthew Trevithick, who was released – but not as part of the prisoner swap – had left Iran. “We give this message of peace, stability and security to the region and to the world as we protect Iran’s dignity”, the Iranian president said.
Obama also credited the improved relations between the two countries with the release of US sailors who strayed into Iranian waters in “less than 24 hours”. Iran has been suffering double-digit inflation and unemployment rates for years. “God willing, in the coming days we will witness a rolling up of the sanctions scroll in this country”, he said. For Iran, the move lifts Western economic sanctions that have been in place for years, unlocking access to $100 billion in frozen assets and unleashing new opportunities for its battered economy.
America’s thaw with Iran is viewed with deep suspicion by U.S. Republicans as well as allies of Washington in the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s policy has been and will remain exactly what has been followed: “to not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons”, Netanyahu, known for his hawkish stand on the Iranian nuclear issue, said during a cabinet meeting.
The Obama administration has pledged to continue enforcing sanctions against Iran related to its ballistic-missile programme, support for terrorism and human-rights violations.
Many economists think the 8 percent growth target is much too optimistic without hard reforms to business regulation and the labour market that could take years to push through, even if Rouhani can sustain the political will for them.
Mr Rouhani said of the accord: “In (implementing) the deal, all are happy except Zionists, warmongers, sowers of discord among Islamic nations and extremists in the US”.
People of Yemen are being bombed for many months, so any individual would condemn the killing of people, Rouhani said.
Minutes after the IAEA’s ruling, the United States formally lifted banking, steel, shipping and other sanctions on Iran.
The US and European Union sanctions on Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme in the past years had snapped the country’s financial and economic ties with the global financial system and economic network.
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The International Monetary Fund in October noted that some businesses and consumers were putting off major purchases in hopes of getting higher-quality foreign goods when sanctions end.
