White House press service said Wednesday that the US President had extended the national emergency regarding Iran for for one more year.MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) The US PresidentBarack Obamaextended the national emergency withrespect toIran forfor one more year, the White House press service said Wednesday.
"Because our relations withIran have not yet returned tonormal, and the process ofimplementing the agreements withIran, dated January 19, 1981, is still underway, I [Barack Obama] have determined that it is necessary tocontinue the national emergency withrespect toIran," the president said ina letter tothe US Congress.
The United States declared a national emergency withrespect toIran onNovember 14, 1979. The order allows US presidents tounilaterally impose sanctions againstthe Islamic Republic and regulate trade withthe country. The renewal ofthe measure is considered every year.
Diplomatic relations betweenIranand the United States stalled in1979, when supporters ofAyatollah Khomeini, former Iranian leader, took bystorm the US embassy inTehran and captured 52 members ofthe mission ashostages.
Iran is currently targeted bya number ofsanctions imposed bythe UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union and some other countries overthe Islamic Republic's controversial nuclear program, which Iran claims is ofpurely peaceful nature.
Last January, the United States agreed toprovide limited sanctions relief if Iran froze its nuclear program. Since then, Iran has partially limited its uranium production.
By Sputnik News
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