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Donald Trump Renews National Emergency With Respect To Iran


US President Donald Trump has renewed the national emergency with respect to Iran for one more year, beyond March 15, 2018 according to a Presidential statement dated March 12.

In his statement, Donald Trump referred to the nuclear deal between Iran, the P5+1 and the European Union and reiterated that while keeping up with the US commitments, his government is serious in its approach towards containment of the Iranian regime in so far as its regional policies, missile tests, human rights record and nuclear program are concerned.

“On January 16, 2016, Implementation Day under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States lifted nuclear-related sanctions on Iran”, reads the presidential statement.

Elsewhere in his statement, Mr. Trump echoed the official US policy: while maintaining Washington’s stance on lifting parts of sanctions against Tehran, the US keeps cautious in its policies dealing with Iran.

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

“Though these measures constitute a significant change in our sanctions posture, comprehensive non-nuclear-related sanctions with respect to Iran remain in place”, President Trump insisted.

The national emergency with respect to Iran was declared on March 15, 1995. The order was announced to deal with “the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran”.

Ever since the first presidential order was issued in 1995, US administrations have consecutively renewed its stipulations.

23 years later, President Donald Trump now says he is convinced the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to pose threats against the United States, “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”.

The move is the latest in a series of measures by Washington aimed at dealing with one of the greatest diplomatic hurdles before Donald Trump’s administration, to contain the regime in Iran while keeping up to America’s international commitments within the JCPOA. Thus far, the US has successfully tried to target the Iranian regime without violating the nuclear deal which President Trump has repeatedly criticized.

In a later development, Trump told reporters that one of the reasons he replaced Rex Tillerson as secretary of state was their differing views on the Iran nuclear deal. He added that the new secretary, Mike Pompeo's views on Iran are more similar to his.

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