The Release Of Frozen Assets - 1228 Words

The Release of Frozen Assets One of the key elements of the Iran Nuclear Deal is the lifting of sanctions against Iran by America and the European Union. These sanctions have been imposed over the years following the Iranian Revolution and Iran s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The amount of assets frozen in foreign banks is approximately $150 billion - a large number will go to preexisting debt. According to Kertscher, 2016, â€Å"Kerry had told CNBC s â€Å"Squawk Box† that Iran would get only $55 billion of the $150 billion referenced, saying the rest is committed to China and other countries† (para. 8). Kerry stated that he believed it a likelihood that some of the funds would be released to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or other†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, Iran works to destabilize the region by assisting sectarian elements in Iraq through the use of the Revolutionary Guards and by providing support for Hezbollah – the outcome leading to the Persianisation of the Middle-East. (CONGRESSMAN PITTENGER: ALLOWING TERRORISM-SPONSOR IRAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS TOTAL INSANITY , 2015). The U.S. has designated Iran along with Syria and Sudan as state sponsors of terrorism. As early as 1984, the U.S. has accused Iran of â€Å"numerous acts of terrorism against the United States and its interest† (Iran Nuclear Deal Background, 2015, p. 4). Americans at the Iranian Embassy were taken hostage subject to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, there was â€Å"limited naval conflict† between the U.S. and Iran (Iran Nuclear Deal Background, 2015, p.4). When U.S. sailors were detained by the Iran s Revolutionary Guard Corp and later released, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the resolution was based upon the success of the newly developed relationship with Iran. In spite of this interpretation, the State Department has submitted a travel warning for Americans urging them to avoid travel to Iran. The U.S. government still does not have diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the DOS: The Iranian government continues to repress some minority religious and ethnic groups, including Christians, Baha i, Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, and others....Iranian authorities