Iran denounces new US sanctions on missile programme

Detailing his confidence in the state of the world and Iran, he said “Following the nuclear deal, you-especially young Iranians-have the opportunity to begin building new ties with the world”. Shortly after the IAEA ruling was issued, the U.S. suspended, but did not terminate, banking, shipping, steel and other sanctions, while the European Union fully lifted restrictions on trade, shipping and insurance.

School girls follow the address of President Hassan Rouhani in Parliament, Tehran on Sunday. Student Matthew Trevithick was also released in a move unrelated to the swap, USA officials said. However, it was not until Saturday that there was proof that it had been implemented. Key for Iran’s struggling economy is that the country can now return to the worldwide banking system and global oil market.

Iran conducted a precision-guided ballistic missile test capable of delivering a nuclear warhead violating a United Nations ban last October.

The UN Security Council later Sunday removed Iran’s Bank Sepah and its worldwide subsidiary from the UN sanctions blacklist. The bank’s assets were frozen in 2007 because of its reported involvement with Iran’s nuclear program.

Rep. Dan Kildee, who represents the family of former marine Amir Hekmati and advocated for Hekmati’s release, said in a statement that Hekmati “is coming home”. In response, foreign minister Javad Zarif warned his counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry, that sanctions would scupper secret negotiations for the prisoner exchange.

The Washington Post reporter who was released from Iran as part of a prisoner swap with the USA said Monday that “physically, I’m feeling good” after enduring 18 months in captivity, the Post reported.

But nearly nothing is known about the fourth prisoner, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, who has opted to stay in Tehran. Rezaian was serving as the Washington Post Tehran bureau chief before his arrest.

The U.S. government would “not rest” until another American citizen, Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iran more than eight years ago, was located, he said. He had been held more than 544 days.

Republican Presidential candidates are criticizing a deal with Iran to free five Americans.

Obama administration officials made a decision to delay the sanctions announcement until after the deal was completed, the sources said.

U.S. media said Washington would either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians in exchange for the Americans. The deal, facilitated by Switzerland, involved a plan to fly the four from Iran to Switzerland aboard a Swiss aircraft and then on to Germany for medical evaluation.