Special to WorldTribune.com

U.S. President Barack Obama on Oct. 18 ordered the lifting of sanctions against Iran and for billions of dollars of its assets to be unfrozen.

The president made the announcement on what was labeled “adoption day” of the Iranian nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Obama said the U.S. would waive sanctions on Teheran after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran was honoring its commitments under the JCPOA.

Full compliance of Iran’s commitments in the deal remains a sticking point, with some experts saying the recent tour of the Parchin nuclear site by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano was nowhere near a full inspection.

Amano later said there was no need for a second visit by IAEA inspectors to Parchin although, prior to Amano’s visit, Iranian scientists were allowed to collect samples from Parchin without IAEA inspectors present and then handed the samples over to the IAEA.

“Today marks an important milestone toward preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful going forward,” Obama said.

Secretary of State John Kerry was enlisted by Obama to issue the sanctions waivers and to “take all appropriate additional measures to ensure the prompt and effective implementation of the U.S. commitments” in the JCPOA.

Oct. 18 marked 90 days since the United Nations Security Council approved the nuclear framework.

“So adoption day is a calendar-driven event and it’s the day at which all the parties begin to take the steps they need to make sure they take to get to implementation day,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby, according to USA Today.

“We’re not at implementation day; that’s a whole different purpose.”

The sanctions Obama waived on Oct. 18 apply only to non-American citizens and companies doing business with Iran. The sanctions on U.S. citizens remain in place as they were imposed on Iran for its support of terrorism and human rights violations.

The European Union on Oct. 18 also pledged to lift sanctions imposed on Iran.

The accord “brings us a step closer to the beginning of implementation of the (July deal), to which we are strongly committed,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a joint statement with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, according to AFP.

  IAEA, JCPOA, John Kerry, Obama orders the lifting of Iran sanctions, unfreezing of assets, WorldTribune.com