Trump Extends 'National Emergency' Against Iran for Another Year

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, on Tuesday, March 12, extended the 'national emergency' against Iran for another year in a letter to the U.S. Congress. According to a statement from the White House, Trump wrote in his letter that he is determined to maintain the comprehensive sanctions imposed 'in response to the threat' posed by Iran. Trump described Iran as a 'serious threat' and reminded that his administration exited the global powers' nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA) ten months ago and imposed new sanctions against Tehran. He labeled Iran's ongoing nuclear and missile programs, as well as its support for 'terrorist groups,' as an 'extraordinarily serious threat' to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economy. Following the attack by students from the group known as 'Line of Imam' on the U.S. embassy in Tehran and the hostage-taking of its staff, Jimmy Carter, the then-President of the United States, imposed sanctions against Iran. However, the 'national emergency' against Iran was first declared in 1995 during Bill Clinton's presidency. Clinton's initial sanctions order prohibited U.S. commercial cooperation in Iran's oil and gas industry, and two months later, it was expanded to cover all trade with Iran. In 1995, the U.S. Congress also passed the Dual Containment Act against Iran and Libya, which warned foreign companies that their investments exceeding $20 million in these two countries would face penalties. This punitive law, proposed by Senator Alfonse D'Amato, became known as the 'D'Amato Law' or 'ILSA'; however, in 2006, following Libya's exit from sanctions, it was renamed 'ISA,' which now only applies to Iran. Simultaneously, Bill Clinton, as well as George W. Bush and Barack Obama, each extended the 'national emergency' related to Iran during their eight years in office. After the JCPOA was achieved in 2015, the White House both extended the 'national emergency' against Iran and renewed the 'ISA' law in the fall of 2016 with a significant majority in both the House and Senate, this time for ten years. Iran believed that following the achievement of the JCPOA, in addition to the sanctions imposed under UN Security Council resolutions against it, the U.S. extensions regarding Iran should also be lifted, but this did not happen. The current U.S. administration has told Iran that sanctions will be lifted if it complies with the 12 conditions announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Trump has called on Iranian leaders to negotiate. However, the Islamic Republic has emphasized that it will not 'retreat' from its path and will not only not negotiate with the current U.S. administration but also strongly rejects any new negotiations regarding the JCPOA. The 'national emergency' against the Islamic Republic of Iran has been extended for another year while Tehran has been under unprecedented economic pressure since the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Islamic Republic leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani, have emphasized that they will 'proudly' strive to circumvent the recent heavy U.S. sanctions. Nevertheless, the outlook for extending Iran's oil export waivers from mid-spring 2019 is unclear; this could significantly reduce Iran's revenue in the coming year, even below the figures projected in the government's budget bill. The budget for the year 1398, which was recently approved by the parliament, indicates that a very difficult year awaits the Iranian people, to the extent that the return of rationing is predicted at least to meet part of the most essential needs of the people, with about $14 billion allocated for purchasing basic necessities.