The U.S. Treasury put out guidance to America-based companies after the deal, reminding them that “U.S. persons – including U.S. companies – continue to be broadly prohibited from engaging in transactions or dealings with Iran or its government”.
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The implementation of missile development program by Iran is not related to nuclear in any way, so it does not affect the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached last July, the head of the Foreign Ministry Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (right) with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano.
Asked about conservative voices within Iran, he said: “Iran is not a monolith, I think Americans would recognize that… just like the United States is not”. The Minister assured that the Iranian missile program is defensive.
He didn’t specify, but the USA has been a big military supporter of Israel and Iranian rivals Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Because the IAEA declared that Iran met the requirements to roll back its nuclear program to what the nuclear deal calls “Implementation Day”, it will receive approximately $150 billion in sanctions relief even through Iran is still designated by the United States as a state sponsor of terror and was listed in a June 2015 State Department report as the world’s leading terrorist state.
The Iran nuclear deal was the product of years of careful negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 – the permanent UN Security Council members and the European Union. These sanctions, which were triggered by a recent missile test by Iran in violation of United Nations prohibitions, designated eleven Iranian, Chinese, and UAE entities and individuals who were determined to be involved in procurement activities on behalf of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The answer to these questions is this: because the Obama administration wanted a legacy nuclear agreement with Iran so badly they made any concession necessary to get one.
The Volkswagen-owned German carmaker said its representatives had travelled to Iran for talks with possible importers as it sought to enter Iran for the first time, seeing growing potential there for luxury cars.
What does all this mean for Iranians anxious to restore connections between the USA and Iran?
The new sanctions come after economic sanctions were lifted which were tied to Iran’s nuclear program. It will not stop or slow Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The global community needs to make sure that the IAEA has everything it needs to undertake these important tasks, such as facilities at all important sites and trained personnel.
Rabii said he’s surprised by the media attention that is often so concentrated around Iran’s oil sector.
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Khamenei didn’t name any specific politicians, but Reuters notes that almost every Republican presidential candidate has heavily criticized the deal, with several promising to disavow us involvement should they win the election. The nuclear deal is now an umbrella that protects Iran’s mischief in other areas.
