In an interview that was aired Friday on “PBS NewsHour”, Robert Malley (the U.S. Special Representative to Iran) stated that Iran’s lack of agreement has led to “more aggressive, regional behavior .”
“NewsHour: Nick Schifrin, Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, asked “On sanctions relief” how much Iran would get. An organization opposing you entering the agreement says Iran could have access to billions more oil and central bank assets.
Malley replied, “Well, listen. I’m going to not give you a number because that’s –that would be highly speculational. However, I am able to say that there have been assets frozen. These assets include money and assets Iran collected during a period when sanctions weren’t in effect. They are currently in banks around the world. If they abide by the nuclear agreement, then they would have full access. They would be allowed to export oil and receive the profits from that sale. Let’s not forget why these sanctions were put into place. These sanctions were used to force Iran into reducing its nuclear programme and prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. We’ve experienced the exact opposite. It’s not an experiment. We have seen Iran’s nuclear programs grow unconstrained over the years since Trump pulled out of the agreement. This has led to more aggressive behavior in the region. This experiment failed .”
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