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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Last week, five Americans including a Washington Post reporter were released from Iranian prison and President Barack Obama hailed the restoration of their freedom as proof “smart, patient and disciplined” works.
“Iran’s recent missile test, for example, was a violation of its worldwide obligations and as a result the United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran’s ballistic missile program”.
A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, was also released by Iran, though his release was not part of the negotiated prisoner swap.
The announcement of the sanctions came a day after several Western powers including the USA lifted sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear deal signed in July. Because of that the USA and the European Union will lift economic sanctions in place for decades.
“Iran’s missile programme has never been created to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons”, Ansari said, quoted by ISNA news agency.
On December 31, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran should expand its missile program in response to threats of new USA sanctions.
Shortly afterward, the three left for a U.S. military base in Germany, arriving there later on Sunday, a U.S. State Department official said.
Obama said the settlement between the USA and Iran at The Hague would save United States money.
Rezaian told two Post senior editors in a phone call on Sunday night that he was doing “a hell of a lot better than I was 48 hours ago”.
Despite the fresh sanctions, Iran returned to the worldwide community and North Korea has now become the sole nation to be under UN sanctions for testing of nuclear weapons.
Also released was Saeed Abedini, 35, an Iranian-American pastor from Idaho who was setting up an orphanage in Iran in 2012 when he was detained. “Today we are in an atmosphere where we can have political, economic and legal interaction with the world to the benefit of our national interests”, the president said.
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What everyday people in Iran are saying about this news.
