The implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal and five Americans freed by Tehran in a prisoner swap are reasons for optimism, President Obama said Sunday during a rare weekend address, showing the fruits of diplomacy with a still-hostile adversary of the United States.
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Also, the world powers released Iran’s assets valued at around $100 billion after global inspectors concluded that the country had followed through on promises to dismantle large sections of its nuclear programme.
Netanyahu has long called the deal a “historic mistake”, warning that it entrenches the Islamist regime in power, gives Iran tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief to fund terrorism and destabilize the region, and paves Iran’s path to a nuclear arsenal in the long term.
The US sanctions-related commitments are now in effect, Kerry said, announcing lifting of crippling sanctions against Iran.
Mr Rouhani said the deal has satisfied all parties except extremists: “Everybody is happy except the Zionists, the warmongers who are fuelling the sectarian war among the Islamic nation, and the hardliners in the United States congress”. Most will be lifted immediately.
The president repeatedly touted both as a victory for “strong American diplomacy”, saying that opening avenues of communication with Iran has led to unprecedented dialogue and cooperation. Iran is home to the world’s fourth-largest proven reserve of crude oil and ranks second in proven natural gas reserves behind Russian Federation.
He also said a settlement between the United States and Iran at The Hague, in which Iran received $400 million in funds frozen since 1981 plus $1.3 billion in interest, would save US money.
The Vienna agreement was nailed down after two years of rollercoaster negotiations following Rouhani’s election.
“Instead, we worked directly with the Iranian government and secured the release of our sailors in less than 24 hours”.
The United States is maintaining a blacklist of Iranian firms and individuals – including figures in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – who are sanctioned over human rights abuses and Tehran’s ballistic-missile program.
“This is a positive message to the worldwide community in 2016”, Wang said in a written interview to the Xinhua news service, published on the Foreign Ministry’s website.
The implementation of the nuclear agreement was accompanied by the release of four U.S.-Iranian prisoners held in Iran, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, and a number of Iranians from U.S. custody, signaling a further thaw in ties.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has argued, including in a New York Times op-ed column last week, that Iran wants to help the global fight against Sunni Muslim militants like Islamic State and al Qaeda.
