Noting that the U.S. has never been afraid to pursue diplomacy with adversaries, Obama said he decided that a strong, confident America could advance its national security by engaging directly with the Iranian government.
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the country will continue to enhance its missile capabilities in defiance of fresh United States sanctions over the Islamic Republic’s missile program. Amongst the Americans released over the weekend was Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian who has been imprisoned since July 2014.
“President Obama on Sunday touted improved relations between Washington and Iran, pointing to the implementation of a nuclear agreement and Tehran’s release of American prisoners”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday, “Iran will now have more resources to dedicate to their terrorism and aggression in the region and in the world”.
The US and the European Union today lifted biting oil and financial sanctions on Iran and unblocked about Dollars 100 billion of its frozen assets after United Nations inspectors concluded that Tehran has complied with a historic deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.
“Whereas Tehran was expanding its nuclear, program, we have now cut off every single path that Iran could have used to create a bomb”, he said.
The U.N nuclear agency certified that Iran has met its obligations required under a deal struck last summer.
Obama also said that the US offered clemency to seven Iranians, who had been convicted or are pending trial in the U.S.
“Iran has undertaken significant steps that many people doubted would ever come to pass”, clearing the way for sanctions to end, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Vienna late Saturday after Iran’s compliance with the agreement was certified. This, he said, would save USA money and time, as there was no point in dragging out this dispute and continuing to pay interest on the money.
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“Iran’s implementation of the nuclear-related measures…, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran’s nuclear program”, Obama said in the executive order issued by the White House.
