US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday emphasized on Washington’s support for its allies in the Middle East. Following talks with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, Kerry said the US will support its allies in the Middle East to defend themselves against any measures from Iran.

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday she does not trust the Iranian regime at all. If during the nuclear arms agreement with the Soviet Union Ronald Reagan said agree but with verification, on Iran I say we must verify without trust, she said.

 US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Thursday to reporters that Quds Force chief Qassem Suleimani will remain sanctioned under the nuclear agreement.
The individual named Qassem Suleimani that has been annexed to the nuclear agreement is not the Quds Force chief, but head of a uranium mine company and apparently a similarity in the names has caused some misunderstanding.
During the past few days state-run media, including the website belonging to Qassem Suleimani himself, have claimed sanctions on him have been lifted.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters there is no talk of establishing diplomatic relations with Iran. There is no official path for talks and evaluating Iran’s destabilizing activities and no one will close their eyes on Iran’s activities, from this regime’s support for Hezbollah and Houthi militants, to human rights violations and concerns about the faith of four Americans imprisoned in Iran, he added.
The nuclear agreement was aimed at blocking Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and all our other concerns remain intact, Kirby continued, adding the US government has the necessary tools to deal with these concerns, from sanctions to the US military’s permanent presence in the region.