John Kerry: Some Iran sanctions relief likely to go to terrorists

In December past year, Iran said it would begin construction of another new nuclear plant built in cooperation with Russian Federation, which signed a contract to build two reactors in the country.

“Because of Khamenei’s health, the factions in Iran that are loyal to the Revolutionary Guard do not want to take the chance that the next supreme leader will not be one of them”, Tarzi told me.

Although the administration says it has no evidence of direct Iranian involvement, Secretary of State John Kerry’s ability to get his Iranian counterpart on the phone may again be useful in bartering with kidnappers to secure yet another White House win.

The U.S., which views the ballistic-missile program as a threat to worldwide security, imposed the sanctions on 11 people and entities linked to the program, barring them from using the U.S. banking system. “It is not money-based, and a whole lot of money isn’t going to make a difference in a whole lot of places”.

“The decision and the successful implementation of the agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program represent an important step opening up new opportunities for the region and the entire world”, said the Georgian Ministry.

In occasionally mocking tones, a group of Republican senators in Washington chided Kerry, telling reporters it was always clear to them that Iran would use its unfrozen assets to finance terrorism.

There is already considerable political pressure within the US on the Obama administration to be tough on Iran as a result of its ongoing efforts in support of terrorism, regional instability in the Middle East, and missile proliferation. My colleagues and I, along with the Obama administration, will continue to press Iran for information about his whereabouts, despite that government’s insistence that it has no knowledge of his current status.

Those were Islamic State, also known as ISIS or Daesh, al Qaeda and the Nusra Front, he said, adding that 10 “card-carrying members” of al Qaeda had attended an opposition meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, convened to form a delegation for the Geneva talks.

“With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, tell us something we don’t know”, the release said.

Iran’s shadow economy has been a breeding ground for corruption and nepotism, and foreign companies will be wary of approaches by local “fixers” who would pay bribes on their behalf. If the choice is between guns or butter, most Iranians appear ready to choose butter.

Banks will be especially wary of not violating the remaining sanctions because they faced hefty fines in the past, lawyers said.

Now that the deal is done, there is a more pressing matter: What to do next about Iran?

The president of the Federation of German Industries, Ulrich Grillo, said that “Iran’s need for making up lost ground in modernizing its industrial infrastructure is extraordinarily large”, adding exports could double in five years from 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) a year now.

India, caught unawares by an earlier-than-expected lifting of economic sanctions on Iran by the U.S., has welcomed Washington’s announcement, saying that it is a significant success for patient diplomacy. Under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929, Iran is prohibited from undertaking any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

“We think they have been used judiciously and effectively and we are looking to move on now to put to test the willingness of Iran and other countries in the region to try to reduce tensions and move in a different direction”.

With the lifting of the sanctions, Japanese insurance companies will be able to issue policies covering trade deals involving Iran.