Iran: Proof of good behaviour

The ‘moderate’ side of the Iranian regime sought to chalk up bonus points as it moved towards ‘implementation day’ for the nuclear accord earlier than many expected, on 16 January. The agreement was reached despite questions over the extent that recent claims about fulfilling the nuclear deal could be believed. And political realities were underlined when one day later the United States imposed fresh bilateral sanctions on the financial operations of 11 Iranian companies and individuals in retaliation for Tehran’s recent ballistic missile test.