World powers have lifted the economic sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear programme following the implementation of the atomic deal by Tehran in July past year.
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“Today marks the moment that the Iran nuclear agreement transitions from an ambitious set of promises on paper to measurable action in progress”.
In announcing the lifting of economic sanctions, European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said Iran had joined “the field of peaceful users” of nuclear energy.
This means tens of billions, and by some estimates over $100 billion in Iranian assets, frozen in the West, will be freed up, and Iran will be able to sell its oil internationally like any other country.
“The easing of these sanctions will ensure that Australian business is not disadvantaged in pursuing opportunities in Iran”, she said in a statement.
President Barack Obama delegated authority to Kerry to make the determination. “United States’ friends and allies in the Middle East and the entire world are safer, because the threat of nuclear weapons has been reduced”, he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said in a statement that Iran hasn’t abandoned its goal of obtaining a nuclear weapon, which is why “Israel will continue to monitor the implementation of the deal and will warn of any violation on Iran’s part”. He hailed the move as bringing about a “good day for the Iranian people”.
Verified and confirmed by the United Nations nuclear agency, the steps Iran completed according to the deal could trigger a comprehensive relief of the nuclear related sanctions imposed on Tehran.
U.S. officials had previously insisted the backchannel diplomacy with Iran to arrange Saturday’s prisoner swap was a separate effort from the global drive to end the nuclear standoff.
Once sanctions are lifted, Iran plans to swiftly increase its oil exports. Mr Yukiya Amano, the agency’s director general, announced that it had “no credible indications” of such work after 2009. “All of Iran’s paths toward a nuclear weapon have been stopped”.
Tehran confirmed that four inmates with dual Iranian-US nationality have been released from its jails, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. Reuters notes that the Obama administration pursued a back channel to negotiate the release of these US hostages.
Iran and the world powers – the United States, Germany, Britain, Russia, China, and France finalized the JCPOA in Vienna, on July 14, 2015.
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Reacting to the developments, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, “We Iranians have reached out to the world in a sign of friendliness, and leaving behind the enmities, suspicions and plots, have opened a new chapter in the relations of Iran with the world”.
