Iran denounces U.S. sanctions on missile programme

The most dramatic USA sanctions to be eased will be those that had prevented non-US actors buying oil from Iran, except in very limited circumstances, or investing in its petroleum sector.

That assessment has been thrown in heavy doubt given the fact that Iran will be allowed to inspect its own covert nuclear sites such as Parchin, and Iran likewise can simply wait for the limitations on its nuclear program to expire under the deal in 15 years.

On Saturday, Obama signed an executive order to lift sanctions on Iran after worldwide inspectors concluded that Iran has dismantled large parts of its nuclear programme as promised.

American prisoner Matthew Trevithick, who was released separately from the other four, has left Iran.

Negotiations in December over the prisoner exchange delayed the U.S. Treasury’s imposition of the latest sanctions. The U.S. also dropped cases against 14 other Iranians it sought to extradite from other countries.

Overall, the sanctions relief will be “credit positive for Iran because access to previously frozen foreign assets will boost liquidity while sanctions relief will revive the economy”, ratings agency Moody’s said Monday.

In 1981, the Iran-US Claims tribunal was established in The Hague to settle debts between the two countries.

“Upgrading the country’s defense and missile equipment is among the Armed Forces’ priorities and its process will not stop even for a moment”, said Jazayeri, according to Iran’s Press TV.

The sanctions come after Iran conducted an Emad ballistic missile test on October 10, and a month later it tested another ballistic missile, with USA officials revealing other undeclared tests occurred earlier than that.

“We have deals that are being worked out with Airbus – all sorts of companies from nuclear technology companies, to irrigation, green energy… a whole range of them”, he said. Iran is still considered a state-sponsor of terrorism.

In practice, this means lifting the restrictions that now prevent non-US companies, entities and individuals from engaging in a wide array of transactions with Iran, on pain of sanctions against their activities in the United States. 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.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday the $400 million had been held in escrow, and Iran had been trying to recover that money – plus interest – for more than 30 years.

All in all, Levitt says there are plenty of ways Iran can attempt to cheat on the terms of the nuclear agreement that is only beginning to be implemented now.