Iran on Monday denounced as “illegitimate” new sanctions by the United States on its ballistic missile program, two days after Tehran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers came into effect.
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“We released seven terrorists who had helped Iran with their nuclear program, and we agreed not to prosecute another 14 terrorists for doing the same thing”, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said on Fox News Sunday.
“The U.S. sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile program… have no legal or moral legitimacy”, he added.
But the day before the sanctions were to be imposed, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned Kerry that if Washington went ahead, the deal could be endangered, according to a USA official and congressional sources. The country conducted a precision-guided ballistic missile test capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, officials said.
On Sunday, Mr Rouhani said the implementation of the nuclear deal – negotiated with the US, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany – marked a critical moment for Iran’s relations with the world.
“I am delighted that we can, for once in a meeting, welcome a very favourable decision, that is the implementation of the Iranian nuclear agreement, because it can also weigh on the situation in the region”, he said. Five Democratic senators said in a joint letter to Obama that failure to impose the restrictions could encourage Tehran to violate worldwide obligations with impunity. “But the fact of the matter is, for these folks who have been locked up in prison, in Iran for all this time is not morally justifiable either”. Washington also offered no response to an Iranian navy rocket fired near a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz.
In remarks shortly before the United States announcement, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said that any new American sanctions would be “met by an appropriate response”.
Obama said the settlement between the United States and Iran at The Hague would save United States money.
“We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously”, Obama said.
Reports said the fresh sanctions were actually postponed for more than two weeks by the US side due to the its concern that fresh restrictive measures could derail its negotiations with Iran over a prisoner swap.
Amano was also to meet Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s atomic organisation, to discuss monitoring and verifying Tehran’s commitments under the agreement, which allows for greater IAEA inspections.
“When Americans are freed, that s something we can all celebrate”, US President Barak Obama said in a televised statement from the White House.
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In Washington, President Barack Obama said the breakthrough was vindication of his contentious policy of engagement.
