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Tehran, Iran • Iran's vice president told The Associated Press on Sunday his country is preparing for a "tsunami" of foreign tourists as Iran and world powers are set to begin implementing a landmark nuclear deal that will lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.
Masoud Soltanifar, who is also Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization chief, said President Hassan Rouhani's moderate policies and the easing of visa rules are opening the door for the return of foreign tourists to Iran.
A country rich in historical and cultural treasures, Iran will unveil an investment package of 1,300 projects in the coming days to attract foreign investment and boost the badly hit tourism industry. Iran is home to 19 UNESCO-registered sites.
The deal formally took effect Sunday, opening the way for Iran to make major changes to an underground nuclear facility, a heavy-water reactor and a site for enriching uranium. The changes will not happen immediately, and Iran must further constrain its nuclear program before relief from sanctions will occur.
Senior administration officials insisted that no relief from the penalties will occur until the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency has verified Iran's compliance with the terms of the agreement. They said Iran's work will almost certainly take more than the two months Iran has projected.
As part of the nuclear agreement, President Barack Obama on Sunday issued provisional waivers and a memorandum instructing U.S. agencies to lay the groundwork for relieving sanctions on Iran.
In Iran, Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told state TV, "On implementation, all should be watchful that Westerners, particularly Americans, to keep their promises." Velayati said Iran expects that the United States and other Western countries that negotiated the deal will show their "goodwill" through lifting sanctions.
Even before sanctions are lifted, the number of foreigners visiting Iran has grown 12 percent in each of the past two years. In 2014, Iran hosted more than 5 million tourists, bringing in $7.5 billion in revenue.
About half were Shiite Muslims, the same religious denomination as most Iranians, and the other half were tourists from Europe, North America and east Asia.
"In the post-sanctions era, tourism is an industry that will get a boost more than any other sector," Soltanifar said. "Tourism is certainly the driving engine to get Iran's economy out of recession. Iran's tourism sector is a flourishing market for investors. We are anticipating a tsunami of tourists after sanctions are lifted."
But the U.S. State Department warns U.S. travelers to "carefully consider the risks of travel to Iran," advising Americans with dual Iranian citizenship in particular that they may encounter difficulty leaving the country. It says U.S. citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling in the country.
The country's Revolutionary Court has convicted Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian on charges including espionage without providing details on the verdict or sentence. Rezaian, who was detained in July 2014, has now been held longer than the 52 American diplomats and citizens who were held hostage in Iran for 444 days from late 1979 to early 1981.
Besides Rezaian, former Marine Amir Hekmati, who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship, was arrested in August 2011.
The U.S. has also asked for the Iranian government's assistance in finding former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission.
Soltanifar, a member of Rouhani's Cabinet, said officials are trying to remove obstacles for tourists and issue visas on arrival at the airport in Tehran for nationals of 190 countries. They will be valid for 30 days, with the possibility of extending for another 15 days. Tourism authorities are also planning to issue electronic visas beginning next year, he said.
Americans and Brits traveling to Iran will need a visa ahead of time to enter mainland Iran, according to their respective governments. In 2014, there were 3,400 American visitors to Iran, up from 1,800 in 2013, Soltanifar said.