Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday hailed the nuclear deal with world powers, implemented late the previous evening, as a "golden page" in the country's history, and looked forward to an economic future less dependent on oil.
The Islamic Republic emerged from years of economic isolation on Saturday when world powers lifted crippling sanctions after confirming that Tehran had curbed its nuclear program as part of a deal agreed last year.
"The nuclear deal is an opportunity that we should use to develop the country, improve the welfare of the nation, and create stability and security in the region," Rouhani said as he presented a draft budget for the next fiscal year to parliament.
Tehran also announced the release of five Americans including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian as part of a prisoner swap with the United States, to reduce decades-old hostility.
This as the US Treasury Department announced later Sunday that the United States imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying Iran's ballistic missile program.
The new sanctions come after the Obama administration delayed the action for more than two weeks during tense negotiations to free five American prisoners, according to people familiar with the matter.
Israel opposition
Israel's opposition was evident in a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, which said that even after signing the nuclear deal Iran had not yet "abandoned its aspirations to acquire nuclear weapons".
International reactions
President Barack Obama on Sunday heralded the implementation of a nuclear deal with Iran,
saying world powers had cut off every path Tehran had to a nuclear bomb and that a prisoner swap showed what was possible with diplomacy.
"This is a good day because once again we are seeing what's possible through strong American diplomacy," Obama said at the White House, adding that Iran would not "get its hands" on a nuclear weapon.
"These things are a reminder of what we can achieve when we lead with strength and with wisdom."
The president said the United States still had significant differences with Iran and would continue to enforce sanctions against its ballistic missile program.
"Even as we implement the nuclear deal and welcome our Americans home, we recognize that there remain profound differences between the United States and Iran. We remain steadfast in opposing Iran's destabilizing behavior elsewhere," he said.
The president described the release of six Iranian-Americans and one Iranian charged in the United States as a "reciprocal, humanitarian gesture" that was a one-time event.
He also said a settlement between the United States and Iran at The Hague, in which Iran received $400 million in funds frozen since 1981 plus $1.3 billion in interest, would save US money. There was no point in dragging out that dispute, he said.
Obama said he was hopeful the events signaled an opportunity for Iran to work more cooperatively with the rest of the world.
For his part, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Saturday in a statement that France will keep a close eye out to ensure that Iran's nuclear deal with diplomatic powers is strictly respected.
Welcoming the deal's implementation, Fabius said that it was an important step in international efforts to control nuclear proliferation.
"By being constructively firm, France has strongly contributed to the conclusion of this agreement. It will be vigilant that it is strictly respected and implemented," Fabius said.
In turn, Britain welcomed on Saturday the international deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program, after world powers began to lift economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic in return for Tehran complying with a deal to roll back its nuclear ambitions.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the nuclear deal with Iran had taken years of patient and persistent diplomacy and difficult technical work, resulting in Iran's nuclear program being substantially rolled back.
"The nuclear deal with Iran, in which Britain played a major role, makes the Middle East and the wider world a safer place," said Hammond in a statement.
"I hope British businesses seize the opportunities available to them through the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran. The future is as important as the landmark we've reached today," Hammond said.
REUTERS
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