Not only did the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declare last summer’s nuclear deal legitimate, unlocking some $100 billion in sanctions relief; Iran released four Americans who have been imprisoned in the country.
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Thursday’s report by the semi-official Fars news agency says the missiles were tested during an army exercise in central Iran.
Matthew Trevithick, a student who was recently detained, was also released – but not as part of the prisoner swap.
Washington announced the new sanctions on Sunday, the day after the United Nations atomic watchdog confirmed that Iran had complied with the measures imposed by the deal with global powers reached in Vienna in July.
USA officials said on Saturday that completion of the prisoner swap deal and the verification of the nuclear deal weren’t linked. Tehran has said it will carry on with the missile program despite the new USA sanctions. The U.S. had held off the announcement of the new missile sanctions in order not to derail the prisoner exchange.
“This deal is a problematic deal, and it reflects a pattern we have seen in the Obama administration over and over again of negotiating with terrorists, and making deals and trades that endanger USA safety and security”, the Republican presidential candidate said on “Fox News Sunday”.
The sanctions will focus on two key networks accused of providing direct support to Iran’s missile development. While Obama emphasized that the US continues to have deep concerns about Iran’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East and its threats to Israel, he also opened up the prospect of Tehran working more cooperatively with the rest of the world.
USA media said Washington would either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians in exchange for the Americans.
Mr Rezaian, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini and former US Marine Amir Hekmati arrived at a US military base in Germany late on Sunday on their way home from Iran.
The State Department said it had agreed to pay the Iranian government $1.7 billion – settling a case that had been tied up at the Hague Tribunal since 1981 after $400 million in Iranian assets were frozen along with diplomatic relations in 1979. “If other countries move before us, it’s not a way to help our industry”, Mr. Dion said.
He said Iran’s prospect for next year’s economic growth was at 5 percent up from 3 percent in the current fiscal year.
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Iran “does not have enough material for even one bomb”, Obama said.
