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How 'almost nothing' in DC turned into something in Tehran

In Iran, the remarks by the head of the Central Bank during his recent US visit that Tehran has gotten "almost nothing" from the JCPOA has become a rallying cry for hard-liners.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 22, 2016.  REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RTX2B9VC

TEHRAN, Iran — When Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Valiollah Seif got on a plane to the United States, he could not have imagined that his efforts to help facilitate the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would result in Iranian hard-liners taking advantage of his remarks.

On April 15, Seif visited Washington to attend a summit jointly hosted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Seizing the opportunity, Seif discussed with US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew the issue of Iran’s lack of access to the US banking system, and participated at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He also gave a few interviews to US-based media outlets, including Al-Monitor.

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