On Saturday, Obama signed an executive order to lift sanctions on Iran after global inspectors concluded that Iran has dismantled large parts of its nuclear programme as promised.
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Our Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong has more.
The administration imposed new sanctions, however, against some Iranian citizens and companies in response to Tehran’s recent testing of ballistic missiles, which USA officials say violate United Nations resolutions.
The nuclear deal drew a line under a standoff dating back to 2002 marked by failed diplomatic initiatives, ever-tighter sanctions, defiant nuclear expansion by Iran and threats of military action.
Iran announced a major boost in oil production on Monday after the lifting of sanctions under its nuclear deal, while condemning new U.S. measures against its missile programme. Some in Congress have criticized Obama for not moving more swiftly to sanction Iran for its missile violations. “There are many steps that need to be taken should we decide to sell airplanes to Iran’s airlines”.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch balked at trading Iranians legitimately prosecuted in open USA proceedings for Americans held at whim and tried in secret courts, as Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was.
Speaking from the White House, Obama on Sunday hailed the “historic progress through diplomacy”, long the centerpiece of his foreign policy vision, instead of another war in the Middle East.
The United States is keeping most of its sanctions on Iran in place.
USA oil companies still face additional restrictions that make it unlikely they’ll be working in Iran in the short term to help it exploit its oil and gas reserves.
“The US sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile programme… have no legal or moral legitimacy”, Mr Ansari said in the televised news conference. A fifth American held in Iran, student Matthew Trevithick, was also released.
Amano is scheduled to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: But today’s progress-Americans coming home, an Iran that has rolled back its nuclear program and accepted unprecedented monitoring of that program-these things are a reminder of what we can achieve when we lead with strength and with wisdom, with courage and resolve and patience.
The deal drops so-called secondary sanctions, which were aimed at non-U.S. entitites. A British-Iranian journalist was prevented from traveling to the United States without a visa this week because of these restrictions.
In 1981, the Iran-US Claims tribunal was established in The Hague to settle outstanding debts between the two countries, and Tehran filed a suit demanding the arms payment be returned.
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USA and Iranian officials scrambled to defuse the situation, which had raised alarm in Washington, but after informal talks with Tehran, the Guards said the 10 sailors had been set free. “For now, we continue to assess the situation”, said Boeing spokesman Marc Sklar.
