Skip to main content

Obama, Rouhani hail diplomacy as Americans fly home

President Barack Obama heralds his administration’s multichannel diplomacy with Iran for freeing detained Americans and implementing the nuclear deal and says there is an "opportunity" to pursue a new path with Iran.
A bus and a van are parcked in front of a plane carrying three Iranian-Americans, who left Tehran under a prisoner swap, after it landed at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland January 17, 2016.  REUTERS/Denis Balibouse - RTX22RUH
Read in 

The presidents of Iran and the United States on Jan. 17 celebrated a mutual diplomatic victory that accomplishes key goals for both governments — long-term limitations on Iran’s ability to make a nuclear weapon in return for the Islamic Republic’s re-entry into the global marketplace.

Both Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani were careful not to claim an end to US-Iran differences over issues ranging from Iran’s intervention in regional conflicts to its treatment of domestic opponents. But the sense of mutual accomplishment was striking in their remarks, which appeared timed to allow audiences in both the United States and Iran to watch them in tandem.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.