The United States announced the new penalties Sunday on 11 Iranian companies and individuals for a ballistic missile test conducted in October that it says violated a United Nations ban. The agreement puts Iran’s various nuclear activities under IAEA watch for up to 15 years, with an option to re-impose sanctions should Tehran break its commitments.
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“And we have been tireless.” said Obama during his speech.
Ten U.S. sailors, who were aboard two patrol craft, were detained for 15 hours by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on January 12 when they inadvertently entered Iranian territorial waters.
To settle the Iranian claim, which had been hanging in the Hague Tribunal since 1981, the U.S.is returning the money in the fund along with “a roughly $1.3 billion compromise on the interest”, the U.S. State Department statement said.
Congressman Jim Costa sees the prisoner release and the nuclear deal with Iran as a cautious step forward.
“The EU has confirmed that the legal framework providing for the lifting of its nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions is effective”.
They include slashing by two-thirds its uranium centrifuges, reducing its stockpile of uranium – enough before the deal for several bombs – and removing the core of its Arak reactor, which could have given Iran weapons-grade plutonium.
A fourth prisoner, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, decided not to leave Iran, according to CNN.
Under the exchange, Washington said it had granted clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom were dual US-Iranian citizens, and droppe charges against 14 others.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the Emad missile was a conventional weapon. These U.S. military microelectronics and power supplies were sent to an Iranian company that then sold the products to various customers, including sanctioned Iranian government agencies.
Ayatollah Khamenei ends the letter with another emphasis on complete vigilance, “especially against the U.S.” and its potential non-compliance with the provisions of the agreement.
Four American-Iranians have also been freed in a prisoner swap as part of the deal.
A U.S. Treasury official said Iran’s ballistic missile programme poses “a significant threat to regional and global security”.
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“All officials should be notified that resolving the country’s economic problems depends on wise and nonstop efforts in all sectors”, he said.
