Obama said the test was a violation of Iran’s “international obligations”. “We’ve achieved this historic progress through diplomacy without resorting to another war in the Middle East”, the president said in a rare Sunday public statement.
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“As a result, the United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran’s ballistic missile program”.
Iran has accused the USA of hypocrisy and said that new sanctions imposed by the U.S. are illegal, as arms sold by Washington are being used against people in Palestine and Yemen, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated.
“We released seven terrorists who had helped Iran with their nuclear program, and we agreed not to prosecute another 14 terrorists for doing the same thing”, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said on Fox News Sunday.
Warming ties between the longtime foes were also in evidence in a weekend prisoner swap that saw Tehran release four Iranian-Americans, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.
“Iran will respond to such (U.S.) acts of propaganda and harassment by seriously continuing its missile program and enhancing its defensive capabilities and national security”, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said at his weekly press briefing.
“The EU has confirmed that the legal framework providing for the lifting of its nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions is effective”.
“Engaging directly with the Iranian government to sustain basis for the first time in decades has created a unique opportunity, a window, to try to resolve important issues”, Obama said.
And Iran, on the other hand, promised more transparency on its nuclear program, allowing United Nations nuclear inspectors to monitor Tehran’s atomic program. As part of this resolution, the US will send back $400 million to Iran, plus $1.3 billion in interest, according to ABC News.
“And we are going to remain vigilant about it”, Obama said.
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Rezaian and two other Iranian-Americans arrived in Germany after leaving Tehran on Sunday in a prisoner swap following the lifting of most global sanctions on Iran under last year’s landmark nuclear accord.
