Ryan Urges Obama to 'Definitely' Reject Iran's Access to Dollars

The Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has urged the President to 'specifically' reject the possibility that Iran might gain access to the U.S. financial system or the dollar. According to the website of the 'Speaker of the House,' Paul Ryan stated that Barack Obama must 'specifically' address any 'solution' that allows Iran to access the U.S. financial system or its currency, directly or indirectly. The Republican Speaker emphasized that 'instead of helping the regime [of Iran] become wealthier, the government [of the U.S.] should hold Tehran accountable for missile tests, human rights violations, and support for terrorism.' The accusations mentioned by Ryan are subjects of sanctions that remain in effect in the U.S., despite the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions. Iran claims its missile programs are defensive, although Iranian officials have threatened to target Israel on various occasions. Tehran also denies allegations of state-sponsored terrorism. Ryan further expressed concern that the U.S. government is sending 'conflicting signals' regarding its next steps and that 'there is a concern that at least four solutions for Tehran's access to dollars have been anticipated.' This is not the first time Ryan has openly expressed his opposition to Iran's access to the U.S. financial system or the dollar. On April 15, he stated that he opposes any attempts for Tehran to access the U.S. dollar and is worried about granting excessive concessions to Iran. These statements come amid recent concerns about access to Iran's frozen assets or the global financial system, with the head of Iran's Central Bank stating that global powers have yet to fulfill their 'commitments' regarding the JCPOA. Valiollah Seif warned that 'if recent U.S. actions against Iran lead to a confrontation between Iran and international banks, the nuclear agreement will fail.' Sam Barahani, a sanctions attorney in the U.S., also told Radio Farda that 'there is a kind of confusion and concern regarding U.S. sanctions that remain in place; particularly among European companies, there are many questions about this and the impact of these sanctions on them.' On the other hand, the White House claims that Iran is mistaken about the lifting of sanctions and their impact on access to the U.S. financial system or the use of dollars in its foreign transactions, stating that such provisions do not exist in the nuclear agreement. In mid-April, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Iran is fully entitled to benefit from the agreement because it has fulfilled its nuclear commitments. He added that the Obama administration is working to assure banks to cooperate with Iran in permissible areas. Kerry mentioned on April 19 that Tehran has accessed $3 billion in cash since the implementation of the JCPOA.