Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials have complained that the United States has not lived up its commitments under the Iran deal in not ensuring that Iran fully benefits economically from the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions.
But as Secretary of State John Kerry has said, he has personally gone out of his way to engage with banks and businesses to make clear that legitimate business with Iran is now permitted:
“We have lifted the sanctions we said we would lift, and we have completely kept faith with both the black and white print, as well as the spirit, of this effort.”
U.S. officials, including Acting Treasury Under Secretary Adam Szubin, have observed that there are reasons why certain banks and companies may be reluctant to do business with Iran:
“Some are concerned about their financial transparency, the designation of Iran as a high- risk jurisdiction by FATF, the Financial Action Taskforce, the world standard setting body for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. Others are noting concerns about corruption, as well as regulatory and other obstacles to conducting business in Iran, and still others cite Iran's provocative behavior outside the nuclear file, including its active support for terrorism and its ballistic missile testing.”
Mr. Szubin says that while Iran pursues more business in the aftermath of the nuclear deal, it is incumbent on Iran to address such problems, to undertake meaningful reforms, and create an environment in which businesses feel secure. Additionally, Mr. Szubin makes clear, “We have been, and will continue to be very careful to deliver on the promises we made to Iran throughout the negotiations. That means proactively providing clear guidance about the type of commerce that is now permitted.”