Iran’s foreign minister slaps USA in most condescending video yet

The new punishment came one day after the Obama administration lifted economic penalties against Iran over its nuclear program.

Days after Iran secured relief from economic sanctions under a contentious nuclear deal, the country’s powerful hard-liners are moving to sideline more moderate leaders who stand to gain from a historic opening with the West.

He had hoped that the ballistic sanctions would be imposed before the nuclear sanctions were lifted.

Mr. Zarif led Iran’s delegation in the nuclear talks, working closely with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from the European Union, France, Germany, the U.K., Russian Federation and China to reach the accord.

But, entering the Iranian market is not without risks: indebted local banks, a primitive legal system, corruption and an inflexible labour market.

Iran needs to be included in any conversations on ending the bad war in Syria and they certainly have potential to be a force for good.

First, in an interview with the Associated Press, Zarif blasted Washington for sanctions against 11 individuals and entities involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program, announced last Sunday.

Most importantly it would have had unpredictable and serious flow-on consequences which would likely have pushed Iran to more aggressively pursue nuclear weapons technology.

Add it all up, and Iran has been greatly relieved from external pressure. But even without the sanctions, Iran is still a challenging place for businesses, Smith said, because of issues such as corruption and money laundering.

DAVOS, Switzerland-Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described a US decision to impose new sanctions on Iran because of a recent ballistic-missile test as “bizarre” in the face of much heavier military spending by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf.

Nearly two-thirds of the 12,000 candidates who applied to run in next month’s parliamentary elections were either disqualified by Iran’s Guardian Council or withdrew.

“The bottom line is, this deal will help the Iranian economy recover, and the regime wants to use that to bolster its internal legitimacy”, Ottolenghi told The Daily Signal.

That’s the real problem with the nuclear deal, and with the whole Obama approach to Iran since he became president.

Zarif countered that Iran spends far less than its neighbors on its military. “In Syria and Yemen, Iran has escalated the fighting, not pushed for a diplomatic solution”. “The picture that was taken to show there was no mistreatment”, he said.

Oh well. That was the last thing Iran’s rulers had in mind, and they have acted quickly this week to crush such reformist efforts. USA lawyer Joel Androphy, who acts for three of those to be released, said the Iranian embassy informed him that his three clients, who have been charged with breaking sanctions but who have not yet been put on trial, have been issued a pardon by President Obama. “No one knows where we’re going to be”. I think what he thought is that it’s worth it to see whether, in this atmosphere, Iran can change. “So you have a difference of views among various political actors, among various parts of the population”.