World powers signed off Saturday on a deal that curbs Iran’s nuclear weapons-building, eases economic sanctions, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Tens of billions of dollars will soon be available to Iran, as well as access to the international banking system and global markets for the sale of oil and gas for the first time in years.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan attacked the deal, saying the release of the money will allow Iran to “fund terrorism.”
Even Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former secretary of State under whose tenure the Iran talks started, was less than enthusiastic.
While she welcomed the “safe return” of the hostages and praised the
implementation of the nuclear agreement
she added: “We shouldn’t thank Iran for the prisoners or for following through on its obligations.”
She noted that Iran has violated other U.N. resolutions with its ballistic missile program, including several recent launches. The Obama administration contemplated new sanctions then but backed down, possibly to avoid derailing the nuclear deal.
“So we can’t take our eye off the ball,” Clinton said.