IAEA chief lands in Tehran to meet Iran’s president

The U.S. and Iran broke off diplomatic relations after the 1979 hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Obama on Sunday defended the move describing the release as a “reciprocal, humanitarian gesture” that was a one-time event.

 US President Barack Obama praised the powers of diplomacy, stating that his decision to engage with Iran directly had been more effective than the approaches over the last decades.

“This action is consistent with the USA government’s commitment to continue targeting those who assist in Iran’s efforts to procure items for its ballistic missile program”, the Treasury said in a statement.

“Even as we implement the nuclear deal and welcome our Americans home, we recognize that there remain profound differences between the United States and Iran”.

A day before the American administration was scheduled to impose sanctions, the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned his United States counterpart John Kerry that this step could hamper a prisoner exchange agreement which was negotiated by the two sides secretly for months.

“Yesterday marked a milestone in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon”, he said.

“Iran is the greatest state sponsor of terror in the world”, Pletka said. Also sanctioned are other companies and individuals involved in the program, which tested two ballistic missiles past year.

“Iran’s implementation of the nuclear-related measures…, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran’s nuclear program”, Obama said in the executive order issued by the White House.

Three out of four Iranian-Americans released from prison in Iran have left Tehran aboard a Swiss aircraft.

The president spoke at the close of an extraordinary weekend that saw back-to-back the release of five imprisoned Americans and the termination of billions in global sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear accord.

“We seek to rationally solve regional problems”. In return, USA officials have said Obama will grant clemency to seven Iranians charged or convicted of attempting to evade the US nuclear sanctions against Iran.