Sputnik - The United States has extended the national emergency with respect to Iran, President Donald Trump informed in a letter the US House of Representatives speaker and the Senate President.



"Actions and policies of the government of Iran, including its development of ballistic missiles, support for international terrorism and human rights abuses, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Trump said on Monday.


The US president added that for those reasons, he has "determined it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to Iran and to maintain in force comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat."

Trump noted that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared on March 15, 1995, will remain in effect beyond March 15.

While Washington lifted the sanctions on Iran consistent with the 2015 nuclear agreement commitments, comprehensive non-nuclear-related sanctions remain in place.

In July 2015, the European Union, Iran, and the P5+1 group of nations — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany — signed an agreement to gradually lift sanctions imposed on Iran in exchange for Tehran maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

On January 30, Trump asked the Congress to address the flaws in what he termed was a "terrible Iran nuclear deal." Earlier that month, Trump announced he would waive the sanctions on Iran as required by the nuclear agreement but for the last time. The US president also threatened to withdraw the United States from the agreement if it is not amended. Other countries that have signed the deal reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement.