The international community welcomed the cancellation of the US and European Union sanctions against Iran.
"Thank God for this blessing and bow to the greatness of the patient nation of Iran. Congrats on this glorious victory," RIA Novosti cited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as saying.
Later, he devoted his speech in the Majlis to this theme. "The nuclear negotiations which succeeded by the guidance of the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) and support of our nation, were truly a golden page in Iran's history," the Iranian President said.
"It is time for new efforts to improve the economy and quality of life," Rouhani stressed.
"In line with this Plan approved by UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231 of July 20, 2015, the presentation of this report inaugurates a start of the JCPOA implementation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The successful implementation of the Action Plan will contribute to strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime, will help solve the complex problems of strengthening the international and regional security, first of all, in the Middle East and the Gulf," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.
"This is a positive message to the international community in 2016. Implementation Day is no doubt significant for the international non-proliferation regime, which is currently undergoing a test. So it's an even more joyful day for the Iranian people, who hope for peace and development. It wasn't easy. China expresses its welcome," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence that "today marks the moment that the Iranian nuclear agreement transitions from an ambitious set of promises on paper to measurable actions". "As a result of the actions taken since last July, the United States, our friends and allies in the Middle East, and the entire world are safer," he added.
However, the head of US diplomacy assured that Washington will continue to closely monitor Tehran's nuclear program. "We will also remain vigilant in verifying Iran’s compliance every hour of every day in the years ahead," the Secretary of State said, noting that "now they have more hope, more confidence in the possibilities about this effort going forward."
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that "the nuclear deal with Iran, in which Britain played a major role, makes the Middle East and the wider world a safer place." "Years of patient and persistent diplomacy and difficult technical work have borne fruit as we now implement the deal," he expressed his satisfaction.
"The UK has played a central role, and I hope British businesses seize the opportunities available to them through the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran. The future is as important as the landmark we've reached today," the minister added.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called the news "an important step for peace and security. "I hope that when the region is seeing immense challenges and strong tensions, the spirit of cooperation that marked the conclusion of the deal can also be brought to all the other regional issues," the head of the French Foreign Ministry said.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the implementation 'a historic success for diplomacy'. He noted that at least the real threat of a nuclear armament in the region has been banned for the foreseeable future.
"The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the achievement of Implementation Day under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the E3+3 and Iran. The Secretary-General commends the dedication and determination shown on all sides. He encourages the parties to continue to implement the JCPOA in the months and years ahead," his press service said.
"Even after signing the nuclear deal, Iran has not relinquished its ambition to obtain nuclear weapons and continues to act to destabilize the Middle East and spread terror throughout the world while violating its international commitments," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned.
"Today, the Obama administration will begin lifting economic sanctions on the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. As the president himself has acknowledged, Iran is likely to use this cash infusion - more than $100 billion in total - to finance terrorists," the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, said.
