U.S. Policy
On February 9, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper, warned lawmakers that Iran has the “means and motivation to develop longer-range missiles,” including intercontinental ballistic missiles. He briefed members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select…
On February 2, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz discussed the steps Iran has taken to curb its nuclear program and what lies ahead for the nuclear deal at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Moniz played a key role in the negotiations that led to the July 2015 brokering of the…
On January 21, the U.S. State Department began implementing changes to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Citizens of 38 countries, including many E.U. states, do not need visas to travel to the United States. But the new measure bars citizens of those countries who are also dual nationals of Iran, Iraq…
On January 17, the United States imposed new sanctions on 11 individuals and entities for supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program. The new measures follow a December report by U.N. experts that concluded that an Iranian test launch in October violated sanctions banning Iran from test firing…
On January 17, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the United States and Iran resolved a long-standing financial dispute dating back to 1981. Iran was to receive the balance of $400 million from a trust fund used to purchase military equipment from the United States before the break in…
On January 17, President Obama welcomed the nuclear deal’s implementation and Iran’s release of four Americans as part of a prisoner swap. “Engaging directly with the Iranian government on a sustained basis, for the first time in decades, has created a unique opportunity, a window, to resolve…
On January 16, Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran’s release of American prisoners as part of a swap. “Today marks the moment that the Iran nuclear agreement transitions from an ambitious set of promises on paper to measurable action in…
On January 16, President Obama issued an executive order lifting sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Implementation Day was triggered by the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s certification that Iran has fulfilled its obligations under the nuclear agreement. As a result, Iran is to receive relief from…
Dec. 3, 2015, marked Jason Rezaian’s 500th day in prison. The Washington Post journalist has been held in Iran on charges including espionage. On Nov. 22, 2015, he was sentenced. But the Judiciary has not released any further details. “During these 500 days, Jason has been subjected to harsh…
On January 13, Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted implementation of the Iran nuclear deal as a top foreign policy priority for 2016. “Implementation day, which is the day on which Iran proves that it has sufficiently downsized its nuclear program and can begin to receive sanctions relief, is…