On Friday, President Biden extended an executive order that declares a state of emergency with respect to Iran. First signed by President Clinton in 1995, Executive Order 12957 has been renewed periodically and was set to expire on March 15th.
The order sanctions Iran’s petroleum sector on the grounds that Tehran poses a national security threat to the US. The order prohibits “certain transactions with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources in Iran.”
In a statement on the extension, President Biden claimed that Iran’s government continues “to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” Biden extended the order for another year.
President Biden has yet to fulfill his campaign promise of reviving the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, which would give Iran some relief from US sanctions. The Biden administration has been calling on Iran to comply with the limits set by the JCPOA before the US lifts sanctions.
Since the US is the party that violated the deal in 2018, Tehran wants Biden to lift the sanctions imposed by President Trump first. Iranian officials have been clear that they would return to the limits set by the JCPOA once those sanctions are lifted.
“to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.’
Because it is Iran that has surrounded us with bases and has imposed sanctions intended to destroy our economy. And just the other day they flew their B-52’s off our coast that were escorted by countries calling for our destruction.
From Republican to Democrat, Democrat to Republican, same old, same old……