U.S. President Donald Trump notified Congress on Tuesday that he was extending the national emergency with Iran that has been in place since 1979.

“Our relations with Iran have not yet normalized, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is ongoing.  For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12170 with respect to Iran,” he said in a statement published by the White House.

Previous presidents routinely extended the national emergency, which otherwise expires on the Nov. 14, anniversary of the original declaration.

A national emergency is subject to automatic termination upon the anniversary of the proclamation unless it is renewed by the incumbent president within a 90-day period prior to the anniversary date by transmitting notice to Congress. 

Exercising emergency authorities enabled by the national emergency declaration is not possible provided that they are specified by the president.  

Technically, there are two executive orders on Iran declaring states of emergency: order 12957 and order 12170, signed by President Jimmy Carter. 

Together, they have frozen Iranian assets held in the United States and have prohibited certain transactions with respect to Iran’s petroleum products.

NA/PA