Reuters: President George W. Bush issued an executive order on Monday that continued U.S. oil and other economic sanctions against Iran in effect since 1995, saying Tehran’s policies posed a threat. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush issued an executive order on Monday that continued U.S. oil and other economic sanctions against Iran in effect since 1995, saying Tehran’s policies posed a threat.
Bush, in a notice to Congress about his executive order, said “the crisis” between the United States and Iran that led to the initial declaration on March 15, 1995, “has not been resolved.”
The United States is pushing for the U.N. Security Council to take a tough approach toward Iran to rein in its nuclear ambitions.
The Bush administration suspects Iran of using its nuclear program to develop a bomb, but Iran denies that accusation and says its program is for civilian purposes.
In his message to Congress on the continuation of bilateral sanctions, Bush said, “The actions and policies of the government of Iran are contrary to the interests of the United States in the region and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
Frederick Jones, spokesman for the White House national security council, said the actions and policies of Iran that led to the continuation of sanctions included its “support on terrorism, meddling in the region, its abysmal human rights record and its pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
A Treasury Department spokeswoman said, “The economic sanctions against Iran prohibit most imports and exports between the U.S. and Iran, including dealings in Iranian crude oil.”
