28 Mar 2024
Thursday 16 June 2016 - 14:11
Story Code : 218794

Kerry claims US is open to further clarifying Iran sanctions relief

Tehran, June 16, The Iran Project - USSecretary of State John Kerry claimed on Wednesday that the Obama administration has met its sanctions relief obligations to Iran under last year's landmark nuclear deal but is willing to further clarify what is and isn't allowed in response to renewed Iranian complaints that it's not getting all the benefits it deserves.

The 70-minute closed-door talks in a downtown Oslo hotel on Wednesday touched on Iran's complaints that it's not getting the sanctions relief it deserves under the agreement.

Speaking after the meeting Kerry said the administration had lived up to both the letter and the spirit of the agreement and had gone the extra mile to explain to foreign firms what they are now permitted to do.

The meeting came just a day after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stated again that the US is not living up to its commitment to ease sanctions under the agreement.

"The two discussed progress on the continuing implementation of the (nuclear deal), including issues related to banking and relief of nuclear-related sanctions," the State Department said in a brief statement.

"We have lifted the sanctions we said we would lift and we have completely kept faith with both the black-and-white print as well as the spirit of this effort," Kerry claimed. "In fact, I have personally gone beyond the absolute requirements of the lifting of sanctions to personally engage with banks and businesses and others who have a natural reluctance after several years of sanctions to move without fully understanding what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do."

o that end, he said he believed there were areas where the U.S. could do more to show it is a good faith negotiating partner.

On Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement but the USis dragging its feet on lifting sanctions in the banking and insurance sectors, and on unfreezing Iranian assets.

Iran still has problems in its banking transactions, because Western countries and those involved in such processes are afraid of Americans, the leader said, criticizing the US for its moves to prevent Iran from taking advantage of the sanctions removal.

Also, Zarif in Oslo has said "psychological remnants" of the previous sanctions regime are preventing European and Asian banks from conducting business with Iran.

The minister stated that the US must show seriousness in encouraging banks to do business with Iran following the lifting of sanctions.
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