“President Obama on Sunday touted improved relations between Washington and Iran, pointing to the implementation of a nuclear agreement and Tehran’s release of American prisoners”.
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The announcement of the new sanctions came hours after three Americans detained by Iran – including the Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian – boarded a Swiss plane departing Tehran. He was the newspaper’s Tehran bureau chief.
And Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine, was picked up in 2011 while visiting his grandmother – and charged with espionage.
Rezaian was arrested in July 2014 and sentenced in November to a prison term.
Not much is known about Khosravi-Roodsari.
The sanctions were announced only after a plane carrying the released prisoners had left Iran.
White House officials said later that Iran could play a significant role in resolving the Syrian civil war, but profound differences existed.
The officials said they knew Iran was not going to dramatically change its actions in the next year or two.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said that Iran gained its “right” through support from the Iranian nation and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. “We don’t make that judgment”.
Mr Rezaian’s family reported that his health deteriorated in prison, where he lost weight and suffered from high blood pressure, and that he was held for months in isolation without access to a lawyer.
US-Iranian suspicion still remains deeply entrenched. The U.S. has only removed secondary sanctions that restrict the dealings of other countries with Iran.
Bahram Mecanic and Khosrow Afghahi were also freed.
USA media said Washington would either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians in exchange for the Americans.
Marandi added that the success of the nuclear deal is in line with United States interests.
“As a result, the United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran’s ballistic missile program”. In addition, and as part of the JCPOA commitments, OFAC made adjustments to various denied party lists, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the Foreign Sanction Evaders List, and the Non-SDN Iran Sanctions List.
“If Iran does act in a more constructive fashion, it would be a positive development in resolving hard issues”, they said.
“I told Javad (Zarif), look she’s on the list and is part of the agreement”.
He hailed the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran by the USA and European Union as a “special and historical day” in the country’s history.
Kerry said Sunday that Iran had agreed to deepen coordination in the search.
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United States officials have believed for several years that Levinson died in captivity.
