Stifling economic sanctions imposed on Iran have been lifted today, as the United Nations says Tehran has restricted its nuclear programme by putting in place all the measures recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Advertisement
Sunni Saudi Arabia, Iran’s other great regional rival, is also alarmed at the prospect of warmer US-Iran ties and of predominantly Shiite Iran, newly flush with oil revenues, increasing its influence.
After years of escalating confrontation, six world powers and Iran last year clinched a deal envisaging sanctions relief in exchange for the scaling down of Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Diplomats gathered Saturday in the Austrian capital for the implementation of last year’s historic nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers-the United States, Russia, China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
“Today is a good day for the Iranian people as sanctions will be lifted today”, the ISNA agency quoted him as saying.
“Today marks the moment that the Iran nuclear agreement transitions from an ambitious set of promises on paper to measurable action in progress”, U.S Secretary of State John Kerry announced Saturday in Vienna.
“Implementation day is a go”, an official told AFP after the United Nations nuclear watchdog presented its report into Iran’s efforts to put a nuclear bomb beyond its reach.
“There is not going to be a comprehensive law allowing all US companies to operate in Iran anytime soon”, said Majid Rafizadeh, president of the International American Council on Middle East and North Africa and a member of the Harvard International Relations Council.
US and European airplane makers, such as Boeing and Airbus Group, stand to benefit, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report published on January 14.
The Obama administration has pledged to continue enforcing sanctions against Iran related to its ballistic-missile program, support for terrorism and human-rights violations.
Certification by the International Atomic Energy Agency would allow Iran to immediately recoup some $100 billion in assets frozen overseas.
While some financial issues may take days to figure out, Iran greeted the news with muted celebrations since the Vienna statement didn’t come until well after midnight in Tehran.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the United States should not be involved in prisoner deals because they only encourage the taking of more hostages.
It’s unclear if these individuals will leave the USA for Iran.
As a result of the agreement, he said in his last State of the Union speech this week, a “nuclear-armed Iran” has been prevented, and “the world has avoided another war”. The Iranians originally sought 19 individuals as part of the exchange; US officials whittled down the number to seven. He’s an American student who traveled to Iran in September for a four-month language program.
Iran is anticipating the likely lifting of worldwide sanctions imposed over its nuclear program.
December – A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate assesses with high confidence that Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons until the fall of 2003, when it halted weapons work. This delayed spending is dragging down domestic growth, but could amplify the economic boost delivered by the sanctions lifting.
The EU will end its embargo of Iranian oil, which should pump more money into the Iranian economy. “But we will also remain vigilant in verifying Iran’s compliance every hour of every day in the years ahead”, Kerry said.
Advertisement
The new relationship unfolding between Washington and Tehran, after more than 30 years of bitter antagonism, could be Obama’s signature foreign policy achievement, but it was also sure to remain a political flashpoint in the United States. “The question is to what degree will they have fights at home about what to do with it”.
