He had hoped that the ballistic sanctions would be imposed before the nuclear sanctions were lifted.
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“Whatever amount may flow to them, I am just trying to be honest, I can’t tell people that, ‘No, some amount might not, ‘ but we don’t believe that that is what has made the difference in the activities of Iran in the region”, he said. “Now we have to return our share and the market has to adjust”, Zarif said.
Kerry said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum the USA or others can do little to prevent the now-unfrozen assets from getting into the hands of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps or “other entities” that Iran has supported in the past. President Hassan Rouhani, who championed the nuclear deal, has ordered his government to facilitate foreign investment but also warned of the “long road” to Iran’s economic integration with the world.
The US is largely driven by politics: its continuing feud with Iran over the 1979 toppling of Washington’s longstanding ally, the shah, the detention of US diplomats at the embassy in Tehran and Iran’s backing for regional movements and groups – Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizbollah – the US considers hostile, mainly due to their antagonism towards Israel. In exchange for the release of five United States prisoners in Iran, the U.S. dropped charges against seven Iranians, accused of violating trade sanctions and canceled warrants against 14 others, and paid almost $2 billion to settle a financial dispute. Perhaps in funding peaceful organizations to improve worldwide relations?
The U.N. Security Council has set out new arrangements to monitor an arms embargo on Iran and restrictions on its ballistic missiles and other programs that remain in place after its compliance with last summer’s landmark nuclear deal and the lifting of U.N. and Western sanctions. It will not be easy as Iranian infrastructure is depleted and in need of upgrading, and investment in the oil infrastructure will not be viable at today’s prices of around US$30 (£21) a barrel. Last October, Iran launched a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead in violation of the United Nations ban.
With the main sanctions gone, the executive, who requested anonymity, is frantically conferencing daily with his legal team looking at all the options for establishing a Tehran office.
Kerry also met Thursday with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, where they discussed the three missing American contractors. One of the first out of the blocks after the announcement was Daimler AG’s truck division, which on Monday announced joint ventures with Iranian partners that will enable it to restart its business there – a presence that went back to 1953 before being interrupted by sanctions from 2010 to 2016.
India, Japan and China have cut purchases, while Europe has phased out Iranian oil and reconfigured refineries to process different grades of crude.
Additionally, the US Congress, dominated by the right-wing Republican Party, is determined to act as a spoiler.
If both sides have been telling the truth, if both are interested in nothing but deterring the Iranian regime from harming the US and its allies, then it’s time for opponents and supporters of the JCPOA to put the past behind and work together on achieving what, based on their statements, are the security goals they share. Iran and Hezbollah have left a trail of terrorism from the Middle East to Europe, Asia and even South America.
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The greatest difficulty in dealing with Iran is that the country in effect has two governments, one the popularly elected administration of Mr. Rouhani, and the other the unelected clerical and military power center controlled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
