Araqchi: No obstacles for foreign banks in transactions with Iran

Talking in a live program on the state TV on Sunday, he said the literature the CBI governor used in relation with the problems foreign banks are facing in transactions with Iran led to the announcement by the US Foreign Secretary John Kerry that non-American banks have no problems in their dealings with Iran.

He said this announcement is a clear achievement for Iran’s diplomacy.

He noted that many European banks are breathing in the pre-JCPOA era and need to be updated about the new conditions.

He said Iran certainly faced problems in transferring inside the money Iranian government possesses outside the country but were blocked because of sanctions.

He said what the US officials are saying about the amount of Iran’s blocked assets are pointless because the assets are now freed and the CBI is supervising the process of the transfer.

The foreign ministry deputy further noted the blocked assets include the money Japan, China, India and a number of other countries owe to Iran in return for the oil they have purchased. He added certain problems on transfer of the price of the oil to the country will be solved.

Stressing that the JCPOA has nothing to do with the US sanctions on Iran regarding use of dollar and access to American banking system, he said Iran entering into the US banking system has its own risks as American courts have already issued a number of unfair verdicts against Iran.

Iran is after replacing use of dollar in its banking transactions with other currencies like euro and is pursuing the goal of reducing reliance on dollar in dealings with foreign countries, the official added.

He said that Iran’s banks have a long way to go before the problems are removed, adding that the US is still going on with its sabotages in the process.

Araqchi further stressed that the signing of the JCPOA was not the end to the hostility between Iran and the US because it had no effect on the nature of interactions between the two countries.