The implementation of the accord and the release of the prisoners is a milestone for Obama, who has argued that his approach of hard-nosed diplomacy backed by onerous sanctions succeeded in keeping the U.S. out of a potential military conflict in the Middle East. The nuclear deal capped more than two years of wrangling between Iran and the U.S., China, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
Advertisement
Kerry also said that all of the us claims against Iran at the tribunal had always been settled, “resulting in payments of more than 2.5 billion dollars in awards to USA nationals and companies through that process”.
“We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously”, Obama said.
“We went through a period of time while they were located and ultimately reunited with Jason, and now all is well that ends well”.
Iran has accused the U.S. of hypocrisy and said that new sanctions imposed by the USA are illegal, as arms sold by Washington are being used against people in Palestine and Yemen, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated.
Those sanctions came in response to test launches of Iranian ballistic missiles in October and November that United Nations experts determined were capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Later, the European Union and the USA have confirmed Iran’s withdrawal from the economic and financial sanctions related to its nuclear program. Western governments hailed the announcement as a milestone though some critics, including Israel, alleged that Tehran was still seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.
The lifting of sanctions allows Iran to rejoin the global economy and begin selling its massive oil reserves in worldwide markets, which could drive the price to as low as US$10 a barrel within months. Iran also promised to cooperate with the U.S.to locate Robert Levinson, the ex-CIA contractor who disappeared in Iran in 2007, reports CBS News.
Obama said the nuclear deal with Iran will prevent that country from making a bomb.
In a side agreement, Iran released five Americans held captive, and Obama agreed to grant clemency to seven Iranians held in the United States.
Advertisement
“The agreement to free Americans imprisoned in Iran is a triumph of diplomacy that should be universally commended,”Parsi said”.
