Americans released by Iran arrive in Germany

“Today will prove that we can solve important problems through diplomacy”, he said.

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

They include pastor Saeed Abedini, in jail for three years after being convicted of undermining national security, and former US Marine Amir Hekmati, who is serving 10 years for cooperating with hostile governments. Inspectors also will remain vigilant to ensure Iran can not rush to create a nuclear bomb, he said. U.S. President Barack Obama said the test was a violation of Iran’s “international obligations”. “We had no business dragging this out”. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday”. The Post and the USA government have denied the accusations, as has Rezaian.

Kerry, in defending the agreement, said that “Iran’s recovery was fixed at a reasonable rate of interest and therefore Iran is unable to pursue a bigger tribunal award against us, preventing U.S. taxpayers from being obligated to a larger amount of money”.

“But there have to be an enforcement of our principles and our standards here”. By then, American and Iranian teams in Geneva were working hard on the details of the swap.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting economic and trade sanctions.

“In the end, the president made the call”, he said.

Iran conducted a precision-guided ballistic missile test capable of delivering a nuclear warhead violating a United Nations ban last October. That set back takeoff several hours. Yet many in the GOP, while hailing the release of the prisoners held by Iran, criticized the deal that secured their return home and again slammed the nuclear agreement, the terms of which allow Tehran to receive billions in sanctions relief. Sunni Saudi Arabia has had tension with Iran since executing a Shiite cleric on January 2, which led to a severing of diplomatic ties between the two. “Yesterday, the families finally got the news that they were waiting for”.

Kerry said he would remain at work on other Americans still being held in Iran.