Simultaneously, Washington and Tehran unveiled a prisoner swap deal that released high-profile American prisoners.
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Obama said he hopes the moves lead to more cooperation between the USA and Iran going forward.
The new sanctions are mostly aimed at individuals and some small companies accused of shipping crucial technologies to Iran, including carbon fiber and missile parts that can survive re-entry forces.
The Iranian government on Monday criticized the United States for imposing new sanctions related to the country’s missile program, as USA officials met in Germany with three of the Americans released by Iran as part of a prisoner swap.
Iran expects an economic breakthrough after the lifting of crippling sanctions linked to its nuclear program and a windfall of billions of dollars in unfrozen assets.
The United States also agreed to drop charges against 14 other Iranians whose extradition to the United States seemed unlikely, a US official said. On Sunday, the U.S. and Iran also settled a monetary dispute over funds that Iran had used to purchase military equipment from the U.S. After decades of fighting over the money at the Hague, the U.S. promised to release $400 million in funds and an additional $1.3 billion in interest that had accrued since litigation began in 1981, according to several reports.
“Iran’s missile programme has never been created to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons”, Ansari said, quoted by ISNA news agency. Those on the plane were Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, a pastor from Idaho, and former Marine Amir Hekmati from MI.
“I have to see what the deal is for the four people, because somebody said they’re getting seven people back”, Trump said.
That has been a primary focus for Republicans who have been deeply critical of Obama’s policy as the United States heads to elections in November.
These obligations included Iran dramatically downscaling its nuclear programme, including slashing by two-thirds the number of centrifuges, which can make uranium suitable for nuclear power but also for a nuclear bomb. “The fact of the matter is that this tells us everything we need to know about the Iranian regime-that they take people hostage in order to gain concessions”.
However, he added, there are still more Iranian claims pending and the US will “continue efforts to address these claims appropriately”.
But Mr Kerry was clearly energised by the release of the Americans, an issue he took up on the edges of nearly every nuclear negotiation, and pursued in a separate, secret set of talks that many involved in the nuclear issue were only vaguely aware was happening.
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The remarks, his first since the deal was implemented over the weekend, came in a letter to President Hassan Rouhani published by state media on Tuesday.
