Iran to carry on with missile program despite USA sanctions: spokesman

On July 14, 2015, China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain, the USA and the European Union signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the U.S. will impose further sanctions if Tehran continues missile program implementation.

“Within the past several years, Iranian missile technicians from SHIG traveled to North Korea to work on an 80-ton rocket booster being developed by the North Korean government”, it said.

“Even if a day comes when there is no NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), safeguard or inspection by the IAEA, Iran is morally and religiously committed not to seek weapons of mass destruction”, Rouhani said. Also released were Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari – all four of whom have American-Iranian citizenship.

He added that “expressions by some US politicians in recent days are matter of pessimism”, without elaborating.

“I reiterate the need to be vigilant about the deceit and treachery of arrogant countries, especially the United States, in this (nuclear) issue and other issues”, Khamenei said.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it had blacklisted the UAE-based Mabrooka Trading, and its owner Hossein Pournaghshband for helping Iran’s produce carbon fiber for the program.

The cabinet said that in keeping with its decision on the 11th of November it had conducted “a total revision of the ordinance” of measures that Switzerland had imposed on Iran as part of the global community’s pressure to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

The freeing of the Americans and the certification of the nuclear deal, both Saturday, marks the beginning of a new era in U.S.-Iranian relations. “Most of all, we achieved this historic result through diplomacy, without risking another war in the Middle East”, Obama said in a televised statement from the White House.

In exchange for the release of the Americans, the US will either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians – six of them dual citizens – accused or convicted of violating USA sanctions.

The United States administration paid back Iran $1.7 billion to settle a lawsuit dating back to 1981.