Washington Says Not Opposed to Foreign Banks’ Trade with Tehran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington is not against foreign banks’ investment and presence in Iran following the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions, stressing that the banks are free to do business with the Islamic Republic.
“The United States is not standing in the way and will not stand in the way of business that is permitted with Iran since the (nuclear deal) took effect,” Kerry told reporters on Friday, sitting alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a New York hotel, AFP reported.
"I want to emphasize we've lifted our nuclear-related sanctions as we committed to do. And there are now opportunities for foreign banks to do business with Iran," he further said.
The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, said Iran "has implemented its part of the bargain.”
"We hope that the statement made today by Secretary Kerry will begin to open the difficult path that had been closed because of concerns that banks had about the US approach toward implementation of the commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement). We see serious implementation of all the JCPOA benefits that Iran should derive from this agreement," he added.
Zarif also emphasized that serious differences still remain between Tehran and Washington.
On Thursday, US State Department Spokesman John Kirby said Washington had scrambled expert teams, "akin to a roadshow," to assure world bankers that they can do trade with Iran.
“We certainly are not trying to become an obstacle in any way of foreign banks and institutions working with Iran through the sanctions relief process,” Kirby said.
While the JCPOA, the 159-page nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) came into force in January, some Iranian officials have complained about the US failure to fully implement the accord.
Last month, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Americans have yet to fulfill what they were supposed to do as per the nuclear deal.
Iran still has problems in its banking transactions or in restoring its frozen assets, because Western countries and those involved in such processes are afraid of Americans, Imam Khamenei said, criticizing the US for its moves to prevent Iran from taking advantage of the sanctions removal.
