Iran says will ban US experts from UN nuclear inspections

TEHRAN -France sought to revive its relations with Iran on Wednesday, extending an invitation to President Hassan Rohani to visit Paris in November, a gesture that follows this month’s historic nuclear deal.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius speaks during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 29, 2015.

During her meeting with Rouhani, Mogherini expressed the hope that the implementation of the nuclear deal would open a new chapter in the economic, trade and political relations between Iran and the EU, and would help expand Iran’s relations with European countries.

“If this agreement goes through, Iran gets a cash bonanza, a boost to its worldwide standing, and a lighted path toward nuclear weapons”, Representative Ed Royce said in remarks prepared for a hearing on the agreement.

“Fabius is coming to Iran during the Support of Haemophiliacs week and this reminds us about losing some of our compatriots because of imported infected blood”.

The blood scandal, however, is not the only reason Iranian hardliners dislike France’s foreign minister: they also criticise him for his tough stance during nuclear negotiations with Iran, and claim he is in Israel’s pocket.

The strategic visit comes after a similar trip by German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who was the first top Western official to visit the country since world powers and Tehran struck a landmark deal over its controversial nuclear programme after years of negotiations.

Priorities for potential cooperation include fighting terrorism, campaigning against drugs and cooperating on environmental issues, he said.

According to information reaching here from Paris earlier, France will send a delegation of 80 French companies to Tehran at the end of September.

“With the new deal – the lifting of sanctions – France intends, if Iran is willing, to be more present in several areas… political, economic, cultural”, said Fabius before meeting Rouhani.

Iran’s Deputy Minister of Petroleum Amir Hossein Zamaninia said Total “did a great job” when it ignored the 1996 Iran and Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) of US Congress to participate in Iran’s energy projects.

He has also come under criticism from Iranian media, earning the nickname “the obstacle” in the ultimately successful talks. He said the agreement also aims at preventing “nuclear proliferation among other regional countries so that no one even thinks about having a nuclear bomb.”