Kerry: Iran Fully Deserves to Benefit from the Nuclear Agreement

John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on Tuesday that Iran fully deserves to benefit from the advantages of the nuclear agreement because it has fulfilled its nuclear commitments. For this reason, the Obama administration is working to assure banks to cooperate with Iran in permissible areas. In an interview with MSNBC, Kerry responded to a question regarding reports about Iran's access to the U.S. financial market and the use of the dollar in its currency transactions, saying, "We are working hard to do what is fair." When asked by the MSNBC reporter if the Iranians have proven that they deserve such treatment, Kerry replied, "This is absolutely the case regarding the nuclear agreement. Iran deserves to benefit from the advantages of the nuclear agreement it has made. This has been stated by President Barack Obama, I have said it, and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has also said it." Kerry emphasized that the Obama administration is trying to provide the necessary "assurance" to banks that are currently allowed to cooperate with Iran in areas where there are no prohibitions. Kerry stated, "It is fair that Iran receives what it deserves because it has complied with its commitments under the nuclear agreement." Another MSNBC reporter asked Kerry about Obama's previous statement that Iran does not act in the spirit of the nuclear agreement and that such an approach does not send positive messages to the international community. Kerry responded, "We are committed. If we said we would lift sanctions, we are obligated to lift the sanctions." Previously, some U.S. officials had indicated that the Obama administration was preparing a plan for issuing a general license that would allow financial institutions outside the U.S. to use the dollar in currency transactions to support legitimate trade with Iran. Following these reports, several members of the U.S. Congress, particularly Republicans, expressed concern about the Obama administration's potential plan to issue a license for Iran to use the dollar in its currency transactions. The release of these reports comes as Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated on Monday that the Obama administration does not intend to allow Iran access to the U.S. financial system. Iran and six world powers agreed on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on July 14 last year, under which Tehran agreed to suspend many of its nuclear activities. In return, billions of dollars of its assets, which had been blocked in foreign banks due to international sanctions, would be released. However, despite three months having passed since the implementation of the JCPOA, Iran claims it has not been able to benefit from its advantages.