On May 27, 2015, the Department of State (State) published in the Federal Register a document [Public Notice: 9148] in which the Secretary of State determined and certified to Congress, pursuant to section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2781), and Executive Order 13637, as amended, that the following countries are not cooperating fully with United States antiterrorism efforts: Eritrea, Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), Syria, and…
On April 23, 2015, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice [Public Notice 9100] renewing temporary waivers of certain sanctions to allow for a discrete range of transactions related to the provision of satellite connectivity services to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The U.S. government is renewing these waivers based on Iran’s commitment to ensure that harmful uplink satellite interference does not emanate from its territory, and verification…
On April 16, 2015, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice [Public Notice: 9095] that outlines the U.S. Government (USG) actions taken to extend certain sanctions relief under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA) as part of the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), that halts progress on Iran’s nuclear program and rolls it back in key respects in exchange limited, temporary, and targeted sanctions relief to Iran…
On April 3, 2015, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued guidance relating to the April 2, 2015 announcement of parameters for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Nuclear Program. The guidance summary stated: • The parameters announced on April 2, 2015 for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by the P5+1 and Iran do not immediately relieve, suspend or terminate any sanctions on Iran. The only sanctions…
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…
On December 30, 2014, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice [Public Notice: 8985] extending certain temporary and limited sanctions relief in order to implement the Joint Plan of Action of November 24, 2013 between the P5+1 and the Islamic Republic of Iran through June 30, 2015 On November 24, 2013, the United States and its partners in the P5+1 – France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and Germany – reached…
On December 9, 2014, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published in the Federal Register a notice that it has published Guidance Relating to the Provision of Certain Temporary Sanctions Relief in Order to Implement the Joint Plan Of Action (JPOA) Reached on November 24, 2014, between the P5+1 and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as Extended Through June 30, 2015 (Guidance). It has also released the following documents: • Frequently Asked Questions Relating to…
On December 4, 2014, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice [Public Notice 8963] informing the public that the Secretary of State determined on November 20, 2014, pursuant to Section 1245(d)(4)(D) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA) (Pub. L. 112– 81), as amended, that as of November 20, 2014, each of the following purchasers of oil from Iran has qualified for the 180-day exception outlined in…
On November 13, 2014, the Federal Register published Presidential Notice of November 12, 2014—Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran which extends the national emergency originally declared on November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170 to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the situation in Iran. Because our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal, and…
On September 24, 2014, the Department of State published a document [Public Notice 8875] containing the Secretary of State’s designation of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations pursuant to section 408(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105–292), as amended (the Act). On July 18, 2014, the Secretary of State, under authority delegated by the President, designated each of the following as a CPC for having engaged in…