Kerry Says Iran's Policies in Yemen and Syria Complicate Post-JCPOA Situation

John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, in a recent interview with the American magazine "Foreign Affairs," stated that Iran's policies in Yemen, its support for Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, and its assistance to Hezbollah in Lebanon complicate the process of U.S. assistance to Iran's banking sector in the post-JCPOA era. In the interview published on October 14, he commented on various issues, including Russia's policy, the Syrian crisis, and the nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA). He emphasized that "the U.S. has adhered to its commitments under the JCPOA" and added that "we have gone even further and made additional efforts to encourage banks that, for various reasons, are reluctant to trade with Iran to engage with it." Kerry's remarks come as Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the U.S. of "breach of trust" regarding the implementation of the JCPOA. In this context, Valiollah Seif, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, also stated on October 16 that "the current conditions are not satisfactory" and that "the expectation is for the pace of transactions to increase day by day." Kerry further stated that "we have lifted all the sanctions that were agreed to be lifted, but other problems exist. We need to help Iran understand that within itself, in its banking system, and in its commercial issues, as well as in transparency, it faces challenges that must be addressed." When asked whether the U.S. can truly assist Iran in these matters, he replied, "Yes. We can help regarding technology and some other issues. However, as long as Iran is engaged in Yemen, supports Assad and Hezbollah, and launches missiles that people feel threatened by, the situation becomes problematic, and this complicates efforts for rapid progress." The Iranian Foreign Ministry recently stated in its second quarterly report on the implementation of the JCPOA submitted to the parliament that returning to the pre-sanctions situation is "like rebuilding the destruction of a ten-year war, which will certainly take time in technical and operational terms." The ministry acknowledged the undeniable reality of the impact of U.S. human rights and missile sanctions on the lifted nuclear program sanctions, stating that currency transactions "still face limitations." Kerry also mentioned that "unfortunately, the Iranian leader is highly suspicious of us," which creates pressure on the political system internally. He expressed hope that over time, Iran would rejoin the community of nations through constructive pathways and strive to contribute to greater regional stability and peace in areas that need it. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, refers to the U.S. as an "enemy" and has recently accused it of "breach of trust" regarding the JCPOA, stating that the Americans "committed on paper" but "prevented the objectives of the Islamic Republic through various means."