The US Secretary of State, while reiterating his support for the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, said that Tehran has received $3 billion in cash since its implementation.
According to the US State Department, John Kerry said at a G Street lobby meeting on April 20, referring to the debate between the country's presidential candidates, "Do you remember the (election) debates about how much Iran receives?"
He then added, "The candidates mistakenly said $155 billion. Some thought $100 billion. We did the math; it came out to $55 billion (in cash). But do you know how much they've received so far?"
The US Secretary of State told participants at the "J Street" meeting that Iran has received three billion dollars in money since the implementation of the JCPOA.
Mr. Kerry's reference to campaign statements refers to debates and interviews of Republican candidates; for example, Donald Trump , the party's front-runner, said last March, "We gave them (Iran) $150 billion."
Previously, Reuters reported that Iran would gain access to $100 billion of its frozen assets with the lifting of sanctions, most of which has been used to pay off its debts.
In early March of last year, John Kerry stated that the cash flow to Iran was "less than $50 billion."
Mr. Kerry emphasized at the "J Street" meeting that the nuclear agreement reached with Tehran is the best way to "prevent" Tehran from obtaining a "nuclear weapon."
Iran has always denied trying to obtain nuclear weapons.
John Kerry, meanwhile, says Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium has been reduced from 1,200 kilograms to 300 kilograms. He adds that Tehran previously had two months to "finish the job," but now "it's a year behind, and we have the ability to see where they're going."
The US Secretary of State says that despite some pessimism, "we are now in a place that seemed unimaginable to some and unacceptable to others."
JStreet is a liberal, non-governmental lobby group that, while being pro-Israel, calls for continued U.S. leadership in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and building peace between Israel and its neighbors.
A US State Department spokesperson announced on Monday that John Kerry has traveled to New York to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The "JCPOA" and the "Syrian crisis" are among the topics of the upcoming talks.
Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry had said that Mr. Zarif would meet with Mr. Kerry during his visit to New York and discuss the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In recent days, fundamentalist attacks on the nuclear deal have increased, and Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has also criticized its implementation.
Source: Radio Farda
