Obama Extends Emergency Status Regarding Iran for Another Year

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, on Wednesday, March 9, extended the executive order concerning the 'national emergency' against Iran. Obama also stated that despite reaching a 'historic' agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program, certain actions and policies of the Iranian government still pose an extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. The White House published the text of this executive order regarding the extension of the emergency status towards Iran for another year. This order was first issued in 1995 by then-President Bill Clinton to intensify sanctions against Iran's oil industry. In part of the text of this executive order, the President of the United States stated: 'Despite the historic agreement to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, some policies and actions of the Iranian government pose an extraordinary and unusual threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, the declared emergency (regarding Iran) on March 15, 1995, must continue until after March 15, 2016.' In another section of this executive order, Obama addressed the issue of lifting nuclear sanctions against Iran, within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers. The President of the United States emphasized that although the lifting of nuclear sanctions represents a significant change in the sanctions regime, non-nuclear sanctions against Iran will remain in place. The Iranian Foreign Ministry considers the U.S. one of the state sponsors of terrorism and has imposed sanctions against individuals, entities, and Iranian institutions in this regard. The U.S. also imposed sanctions in 2010 against several Iranian officials, including some commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, who are said to have been involved in human rights violations, particularly in the killing of protesters following the results of the 2009 presidential election in Iran.