New UN arrangements set out to monitor arms embargo on Iran

Three Iranian-Americans arrived in Germany after leaving Tehran on Sunday in a prisoner swap following the lifting of most global sanctions on Iran under a deal U.S. President Barack Obama said had cut off Tehran’s path to a nuclear bomb. “The nuclear agreement, at a time of widespread regional instability has produced very important and tangible benefits for the US and worldwide security”, Katulis said.

The minister said Japan would like to further develop its ties with Iran and a pact on investment negotiated between the two sides will be signed soon, Xinhua reported.

Other factors that could stall investment include residual sanctions, a shortage of project finance, and political risks ranging from protectionism to the potential collapse of the nuclear deal, lawyers and consultants say.

Another released Iranian-American, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, stayed behind.

Things might have been different if the foreign policy file were truly in the hands of Zarif, a sophisticated diplomat who did graduate studies in the United States.

Japan on Friday lifted sanctions on Iran, falling in line with major world powers after the United Nations (UN) atomic energy agency confirmed last weekend that Tehran had fully taken steps to curb its disputed nuclear programme.

“Particularly when we have a new (president in the) White House in 2017, there is a concern in the back of (investors’) minds: how far will a new USA president want to safeguard this deal?” said Ellie Geranmayeh, Middle East and North Africa policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “First of all, my first day in office we’re going to cancel the deal with Iran”, said Rubio.

Saudi Arabia’sForeign Ministry on Tuesday accused Iran of having a long record of “spreading sedition, unrest and chaos in the region”, while painting Saudi Arabia as a stabilizing force. The agreement needs to be recognised for what it is, however – a limited deal, focused on only one aspect of Iran’s concerning behaviour – rather than what we might wish it to be.

Iran expects foreign investments worth $50 billion to drive financial resurgence in an economy that has suffered Western sanctions for a decade, said Valiollah Seif, the country’s central bank governor. “We’re just not using it in ways that I think are as forceful and assertive as they could be”. Speaking to reporters, he said he regretted that the images of USA sailors captured and subsequently released in Iranian waters were made public. Instead it will require effort to implement it in a way that benefits the United States and its interests in the Middle East. “This is not done”, Katulis said.

So, if elected as president, what will Jeb Bush do on Day One? Their families should celebrate their homecoming, and we should all be thankful they’ll be able to resume normal lives, as something other than unwilling guests of the mullahs.