Rouhani says Iran will honor nuclear deal if West does the same

“Iran will respond to such (U.S.) acts of propaganda and harassment by seriously continuing its missile program and enhancing its defensive capabilities and national security”, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said at his weekly press briefing.

Iran denounced new U.S. sanctions on its missile programme on Monday but pushed ahead with worldwide cooperation after its historic nuclear deal. The moderate leader promised to boost Iran’s struggling economy and improve its relations with the wider world during his 2013 campaign. The Obama administration had been under intense pressure from Republicans (and some Democrats) to impose a penalty for Iran’s two ballistic missile tests conducted in 2015.

While Ayatollah Khamenei expresses gratitude to President Rohani and his foreign minister for their efforts to reach the agreement, he says: “Take heed that the opposing party complies with its commitments, as recent statements by a number of US politicians are cause for concern”.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, pastor Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari were supposed to be flown from Iran to Switzerland then brought to a U.S. military hospital in Germany, for medical treatment.

President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that sceptics who said a nuclear deal with world powers would not bring benefits to Iran “were all proven wrong”. Congressman Jim Costa sees the prisoner release and the nuclear deal with Iran as a cautious step forward.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) test-fired its first guided ballistic missile dubbed Emad in October.

Describing the accord a unique example in the history of diplomacy, Rouhani said Iran was committed not to pursue nuclear weapons.

The deal was finalized hours after the United Nations reported that Iran had made good on pledges to significantly back away from atomic bomb-making capacity and unlocked some $100 billion in frozen Iranian assets overseas.

What does all this mean for Iranians anxious to restore connections between the USA and Iran?

Under the exchange, Washington said it had granted clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom were dual US-Iranian citizens, and dropped charges against 14 others.

Iran will receive $400 million trust fund and roughly $1.3 billion compromise on the interest.