No link between Iran freeing Americans and sanctions lifting: Kerry

DUBAI-Iran’sForeign Ministry on Monday criticized new USA sanctions on the country’s ballistic missile program imposed one day after the implementation of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers.

United Nations experts said in a report in December that the missile test in October violated sanctions banning Iran from launches capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

The organization tasked with inspecting and monitoring Iran’s nuclear stockpiles and sites formally certified Saturday that Tehran had fulfilled the commitments of the nuclear deal brokered previous year and dismantled most of its nuclear program. Ansari referred to the new penalties as illegitimate, saying his country “responds with determination to such propaganda by accelerating its legal ballistic missile program and boosting defense capabilities”.

United States media said Washington would either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians in exchange for the Americans.

Obama said the nuclear deal with Iran will prevent that country from making a bomb.

“We have proved that we can cooperate with the world for the benefit of our people without harming anyone’s interests, and we all witnessed the success of the mutual interest policy”, he said.

Hingham native and Boston University graduate Matthew Trevithick was among the freed US captives, though officials said his release was not part of the prisoner swap. “Full cooperation from Iran is also needed”, he said.

Rezaian is a dual Iran-U.S. citizen convicted of espionage by Iran in a closed-door trial in 2015.

US President Barack Obama hailed the full implementation of an global nuclear accord with Tehran and the release of Americans held prisoner in Iran as a vindication of “strong American diplomacy”.

“All oppressive sanctions imposed against Iran will be annulled today”, Zarif said on Iranian state TV, AP reported.

“I just thought that that was a better place for us to be, that we were going to be firm in implementing the deal”, he told Reuters at the U.S. Senate late on Tuesday.

Brett McGurk, a special USA presidential envoy tweeted a photo of Jason Rezaian after the American journalist landed in Geneva following his release by Iran. “Yesterday these families finally got the news they’d been waiting for”, he said referring to the U.S. nationals who have been released by Iran.