US President Barack Obama has signed a decree lifting sanctions imposed on Iran for the last 20 years.
According to the White House, the decision was made because Iran fulfilled requirements under a nuclear program agreement. The removal will help Iran open its door to the world and represents another success by President Obama in his final term.
President Barack Obama signed the decree on January 17 after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified that Iran has fulfilled its obligations stipulated in the agreement Iran and the P5+1 group signed in July 2015.
But the US left open the possibility of re-imposing sanctions on Iran if it commits human rights violation or supports terrorism. Under the decree, Iran can access frozen assets of nearly US$100 billion, sell oil, and purchase goods on the world market. In a sign of ice-breaking, Iran released 4 American prisoners under a prisoner exchange deal between the two countries. Earlier, Iran freed 10 American sailors who were captured when their boats drifted into Iranian waters.
The US’s removal of sanctions on Iran, a country that has been accused of sponsoring terrorism, marks a change in US foreign policy. There have long been disputes and confrontations between Iran and the West, and few chances to resolve them. Since he took office, President Obama has made Iran a priority of his foreign policy. It took Iran and the US a long time to find any common ground.
But in July 2015 Iran and the P5+1 group which includes the US, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany, reached a historic deal which appeared to vindicate President Obama’s decision to pursue diplomacy rather than confrontation in dealing with Iran.
It’s too early to say whether Iran’s nuclear ambition has been quelled biy this appears to be a victory for the US administration. In a recent speech, President Obama said he is ready to talk with former enemies.
