US – President continues national emergency with respect to Iran

On March 11, 2015, President Obama signed a Presidential Notice entitled Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iran, which extends for an additional year the national emergency with respect to Iran first declared in Executive Order (EO) 12957 (March 15, 1995). On May 6, 1995, the President issued EO 12959, imposing comprehensive sanctions on Iran to further respond to this threat.  On August 19, 1997, the President issued EO 13059, consolidating and clarifying the previous orders.  Additional steps were taken in EO 13553 of September 28, 2010, EO 13574 of May 23, 2011, EO 13590 of November 20, 2011, EO 13599 of February 5, 2012, EO 13606 of April 22, 2012, EO 13608 of May 1, 2012, EO 13622 of July 30, 2012, EO 13628 of October 9, 2012, and EO 13645 of June 3, 2013. 

The national emergency is being continued because, while the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) between the P5+1 and Iran that went into effect on January 20, 2014, and was renewed by mutual consent of the P5+1 and Iran on July 19, 2014, and November 24, 2014, marks the first time in a decade that Iran has agreed to and taken specific actions that stop the advance and roll back key elements of its nuclear program, certain actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. 

The emergency declared in EO 12957 constitutes an emergency separate from that declared on November 14, 1979, by EO 12170.  This renewal, therefore, is distinct from the emergency renewal of November 2014.