Americans Held By Iran Are Headed Home

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

President Obama hailed a deal that led to the
release of five Americans from Iranian custody – including a MA man – as “historic progress through diplomacy”, even as he announced new economic sanctions over Iran’s ballistic missile testing.

“The Islamic Republic will respond to these aggravating and propagandistic measures by pursuing its legal missile programme stronger than before and developing its defensive capabilities, “a foreign ministry statement said”.

Iran is expected to pump 500,000 barrels of petrol a day to world markets after the lifting of the sanctions; leading experts to expect oil prices to fall further.

“This action is consistent with the USA government’s commitment to continue targeting those who assist in Iran’s efforts to procure items for its ballistic missile program”, the statement said. Now, however, Tehran has convinced the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that all terms of the deal are being complied with, and the world can be sure that Iran has no nuclear weapons ambition.

In remarks shortly before the United States announcement, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said that any new American sanctions would be “met by an appropriate response”. The penalties were only announced after the plane carrying the four Americans exited Iranian airspace on Sunday.

“Within a few hours” of the nuclear deal being implemented and sanctions lifted “1,000 lines of credit were opened by various banks”, Rouhani told reporters in Tehran.

Rezaian, 39, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, was arrested in July 2014.

He said he’s seen a very positive reaction from Iranians he has contact with on social media.

Adam J. Szubin, U.S. acting under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the country’s “ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security”.

He said the U.S. has made it clear that it will “vigorously press sanctions against Iranian activities” outside the terms of the nuclear agreement.