REUTERS
Iran banks will now be able to automatically reconnect to SWIFT international payment system amid substantial relief of international sanctions earlier imposed against Tehran in response to its nuclear program, according to SWIFT's statement.
"The Implementing Regulation does not repeal all EU sanctions on all Iranian banks, therefore SWIFT remains prohibited from providing specialized financial messaging services to the EU-sanctioned Iranian banks that remain listed under EU Regulation," the statement reads.
It is reported that the EU nuclear-related financial messaging restrictions were imposed on Iranian banks under EU Regulation in March 2012. SWIFT is incorporated under Belgian law and has to comply with related EU regulation, as confirmed by the Belgian government, according to the statement.
As reported earlier, on January 16, International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Iran's compliance with the agreement on country's nuclear program. Soon after that, the regime of economic and financial sanctions imposed by the EU against Iran was lifted.
United States formally lifted banking, steel, shipping and other sanctions on Iran, a major oil producer which has been virtually shut out of international markets for the past five years, Reuters reported.
Read alsoIran sanctions: Middle East stock markets crash as Tehran enters oil warFor its part, Iran freed January 16 five U.S. prisoners as part of a prisoner swap, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, according to Dzerkalo Tyznia online newspaper.