Iran denounces USA sanctions on missile programme

Tehran-Caracas ties are excellent, he said, noting that practical implementation of JCPOA will open new chapters in bilateral ties and that Venezuela has always been alongside Iran.

President Obama made the remarks after three American citizens released by Tehran had left Iran on board a chartered plane as part of a prisoner swap.

A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, says that Tehran will continue to enhance its missile capabilities, despite Washington introducing fresh sanctions, following a missile test by Iran in October, Press TV reports.

The decision came just a day after Washington had lifted a series of painful economic penalties as part of an global deal struck last summer in which Iran promised to roll back its nuclear program.

Relations between the United States and Iran appear to be improving. Obama also said in a speech at the White House that “the implementation of the nuclear agreement began alongside the reunion of American families”, alluding to “the historical development that was achieved through diplomacy without a new war in the Middle East”.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed late on Saturday that Tehran had complied with its obligations under last summer’s accord, leading the United States and the European Union to lift sanctions imposed over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme that crippled its economy for a decade.

The P5+1 group, namely the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany reached the comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran on July 14, 2015.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also said that the country would not negotiate with the USA on other issues, while sanctions introduced by the Washington, which Iran called “propaganda measures”, would be met with a firm response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday, “Iran will now have more resources to dedicate to their terrorism and aggression in the region and in the world”.

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. “On the sidelines of the nuke negotiations, our diplomats at the highest level, including Secretary [John] Kerry, used every meeting to push Iran to release our Americans”, he said.