Washington prudent about Iranian nuclear deal

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

After reaching a nuclear deal that put an end to suspicions about Iran’s nuclear energy program, the United States is now pushing on the Islamic Republic over its ballistic missile program, which faces hard reaction of Tehran.

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department revealed its intention to impose financial sanctions in the wake of Iran’s missile testing in October and November.

The move met acute discontent of the Iranian officials. President Hassan Rouhani immediately issued an order calling on the defense ministry to expedite efforts for boosting the country’s missile power.

The potential sanctions are considered by the officials as violation of the agreement reached last July between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Though the clinching of nuclear deal was expected to normalize the relations between the Western countries, namely with the European countries and Iran, as well as eliminate roughly 40-year old enmity between United States and the Islamic Republic, however, Washington’s using the previous tone in regard to Tehran could endanger the implementation of the nuclear deal and even torpedo the attempts on solving nuclear dispute.

Tehran’s test-firing missiles, which the United States says would be capable of carrying a nuclear payload, was considered violation of 2010 U.N. Security Council resolution. Iran does not accept that the U.N. resolution bars it from testing missiles, as long as it has no nuclear weapons to place on them.

Facing strong reaction of Iran, the United States seemed unwilling to worsen the situation and nullify long-lasting international efforts on resolving the nuclear dispute.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an announcement of new U.S. sanctions was planned for this week but delayed for an unspecified period without explanation.

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser of U.S. said the administration had additional diplomatic and technical work to complete before announcing any new sanctions related to the missile program, but the delay was not a result of pressure from Tehran.

While Washington has strained relations with Tehran over the years, currently it is not in favor of aggravating the situation even more. On the contrary, in the wake of the developments taking place in the world, namely Washington, as well as Europe’s tense relations with Russia, the U.S. seems interested in activation of the Islamic Republic.

The West’s relations with Russia become strained over the Ukraine crisis.

Iran’s return to global oil market, and its restoring and improving the economic relations with European countries after sanctions removal will strengthen Washington’s hand in squeezing Moscow with more pressure.

Moreover, Iran has abided by the main terms of the nuclear deal, which require it to give up material that world powers feared could be used to make an atomic weapon and accept other restrictions on its nuclear program.

Early in the new year, the United States and European Union are expected to unfreeze billions of dollars of Iranian assets, allow Iranian firms access to the international financial system and end bans that have crippled Iran's oil exports.

Iran is in expectation of the soonest and complete removal of the international sanctions that battered country’s energy-dependent economy over the years.

Iran has repeatedly said it plans to raise oil output by 500,000 barrels per day post sanctions, and another 500,000 bpd shortly after that, to reclaim its position as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' second-largest producer.

The Islamic Republic is also seeking to open bureaus across Europe. Managing-Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines Mohammad Saeedi said once the arbitrary sanctions on Iran are lifted, Iranian-flagged ships can travel between Iranian and European ports.

Launching shipping bureaus across Europe can facilitate exports of Iranian oil and non-oil products to European ports.

Furthermore, as the Iranian government is moving toward a much-awaited removal of international sanctions, Rouhani's administration has ordered the bankers to be ready for the imminent opening of the country’s doors to the international economy.

Valiollah Seif, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran said the country prepare its banking infrastructure for post-sanctions activities and also improve their standards to better operate when the sanctions are lifted.

Early signs of lifting restrictions on Iran have already appeared. Iran’s petrochemical sanctions are already fully removed.

For the first time in the past five years Iran received money for petrochemical export via a European bank, Mehdi Sharifi Niknafs, executive director of the Iranian Petrochemical Commercial Company said.

Though petrochemical-related sanctions have been removed already after reaching an interim nuclear deal in November 2013, Iran’s petrochemical exports was facing problems due to banking system sanctions.