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 ofthe government ofIran, including its development ofballistic missiles, support forinternational terrorism and human rights abuses, continue topose an unusual and extraordinary threat tothe national security, foreign policy, and economy ofthe United States," Trump said onMonday.
The US president added that forthose reasons, he has "determined it is necessary tocontinue the national emergency declared withrespect toIran and tomaintain inforce comprehensive sanctions againstIran torespond tothis threat."
Trump noted that thenational emergencywithrespect toIran that was declared onMarch 15, 1995, will remain ineffect beyondMarch 15.
While Washington lifted thesanctions onIranconsistent withthe 2015 nuclear agreement commitments, comprehensive non-nuclear-related sanctions remain inplace.
In July 2015, the European Union, Iran, and the P5+1 group ofnations the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany signed an agreement togradually lift sanctions imposed onIran inexchange forTehran maintaining the peaceful nature ofits nuclear program.
On January 30, Trump asked the Congress toaddress the flaws inwhat he termed was a "terrible Iran nuclear deal." Earlier that month, Trump announced he would waive the sanctions onIran asrequired bythe nuclear agreement butfor the last time. The US president also threatened towithdraw the United States fromthe agreement if it is not amended. Other countries that have signed the deal reaffirmed their commitment tothe agreement.