[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 12 (Monday, March 23, 1998)]
[Pages 446-449]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress on Iran

March 16, 1998

To the Congress of the United States:

    I hereby report to the Congress on developments concerning the 
national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in Executive 
Order 12957 of March 15, 1995, and matters relating to the measures in 
that order and in Executive Order 12959 of May 6, 1995, and in Executive 
Order 13059 of August 19, 1997. This report is submitted pursuant to 
section 204(c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 
U.S.C. 1703(c) (IEEPA), section 401(c) of the National Emergencies Act, 
50 U.S.C. 1641(c),

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and section 505(c) of the International Security and Development 
Cooperation Act of 1985, 22 U.S.C. 2349aa-9(c). This report discusses 
only matters concerning the national emergency with respect to Iran that 
was declared in Executive Order 12957 and does not deal with those 
relating to the emergency declared on November 14, 1979, in connection 
with the hostage crisis.
    1. On March 15, 1995, I issued Executive Order 12957 (60 Fed. Reg. 
14615, March 17, 1995) to declare a national emergency with respect to 
Iran pursuant to IEEPA, and to prohibit the financing, management, or 
supervision by United States persons of the development of Iranian 
petroleum resources. This action was in response to actions and policies 
of the Government of Iran, including support for international 
terrorism, efforts to undermine the Middle East peace process, and the 
acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver 
them. A copy of the Order was provided to the Speaker of the House and 
the President of the Senate by letter dated March 15, 1995.
    Following the imposition of these restrictions with regard to the 
development of Iranian petroleum resources, Iran continued to engage in 
activities that represent a threat to the peace and security of all 
nations, including Iran's continuing support for international 
terrorism, its support for acts that undermine the Middle East peace 
process, and its intensified efforts to acquire weapons of mass 
destruction. On May 6, 1995, I issued Executive Order 12959 (60 Fed. 
Reg. 24757, May 9, 1995) to further respond to the Iranian threat to the 
national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. The 
terms of that order and an earlier order imposing an import ban on 
Iranian-origin goods and services (Executive Order 12613 of October 29, 
1987) were consolidated and clarified in Executive Order 13059 of August 
19, 1997.
    At the time of signing Executive Order 12959, I directed the 
Secretary of the Treasury to authorize through specific licensing 
certain transactions, including transactions by United States persons 
related to the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague, 
established pursuant to the Algiers Accords, and related to other 
international obligations and U.S. Government functions, and 
transactions related to the export of agricultural commodities pursuant 
to preexisting contracts consistent with section 5712(c) of title 7, 
United States Code. I also directed the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to consider authorizing United 
States persons through specific licensing to participate in market-based 
swaps of crude oil from the Caspian Sea area for Iranian crude oil in 
support of energy projects in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
    Executive Order 12959 revoked sections 1 and 2 of Executive Order 
12613 of October 29, 1987, and sections 1 and 2 of Executive Order 12957 
of March 15, 1995, to the extent they are inconsistent with it. A copy 
of Executive Order 12959 was transmitted to the Congressional leadership 
by letter dated May 6, 1995.
    2. On August 19, 1997, I issued Executive Order 13059 in order to 
clarify the steps taken in Executive Order 12957 and Executive Order 
12959, to confirm that the embargo on Iran prohibits all trade and 
investment activities by United States persons, wherever located, and to 
consolidate in one order the various prohibitions previously imposed to 
deal with the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995. A copy of 
the Order was transmitted to the Speaker of the House and the President 
of the Senate by letter dated August 19, 1997.
    The Order prohibits (1) the importation into the United States of 
any goods or services of Iranian origin or owned or controlled by the 
Government of Iran except information or informational material; (2) the 
exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply from the United States or by 
a United States person, wherever located, of goods, technology, or 
services to Iran or the Government of Iran, including knowing transfers 
to a third country for direct or indirect supply, transshipment, or 
reexportation to Iran or the Government of Iran, or specifically for use 
in the production, commingling with, or incorporation into goods, 
technology, or services to be supplied, transshipped, or reexported 
exclusively or predominantly to Iran or the Government of Iran; (3) 
knowing reexportation from a third country to Iran or

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the Government of Iran of certain controlled U.S.-origin goods, 
technology, or services by a person other than a United States person; 
(4) the purchase, sale, transport, swap, brokerage, approval, financing, 
facilitation, guarantee, or other transactions or dealings by United 
States persons, wherever located, related to goods, technology, or 
services for exportation, reexportation, sale or supply, directly or 
indirectly, to Iran or the Government of Iran, or to goods or services 
of Iranian origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran; (5) 
new investment by United States persons in Iran or in property or 
entities owned or controlled by the Government of Iran; (6) approval, 
financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a United States person of any 
transaction by a foreign person that a United States person would be 
prohibited from performing under the terms of the Order; and (7) any 
transaction that evades, avoids, or attempts to violate a prohibition 
under the Order.
    Executive Order 13059 became effective at 12:01 a.m., eastern 
daylight time on August 20, 1997. Because the Order consolidated and 
clarified the provisions of prior orders, Executive Order 12613 and 
paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) of section 1 of Executive Order 
12959 were revoked by Executive Order 13059. The revocation of 
corresponding provisions in the prior Executive orders did not affect 
the applicability of those provisions, or of regulations, licenses or 
other administrative actions taken pursuant to those provisions, with 
respect to any transaction or violation occurring before the effective 
date of Executive Order 13059. Specific licenses issued pursuant to 
prior Executive orders continue in effect, unless revoked or amended by 
the Secretary of the Treasury. General licenses, regulations, orders, 
and directives issued pursuant to prior orders continue in effect, 
except to the extent inconsistent with Executive Order 13059 or 
otherwise revoked or modified by the Secretary of the Treasury.
    The declaration of national emergency made by Executive Order 12957, 
and renewed each year since, remains in effect and is not affected by 
the Order.
    3. On March 4, 1998, I renewed for another year the national 
emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to IEEPA. This renewal extended 
the authority for the current comprehensive trade embargo against Iran 
in effect since May 1995. Under these sanctions, virtually all trade 
with Iran is prohibited except for trade in information and 
informational materials and certain other limited exceptions.
    4. There have been no amendments to the Iranian Transactions 
Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560 (the ``ITR''), since my report of 
September 17, 1997.
    5. During the current 6-month period, the Department of the 
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) made numerous 
decisions with respect to applications for licenses to engage in 
transactions under the ITR, and issued seven licenses. The majority of 
denials were in response to requests to authorize commercial exports to 
Iran--particularly of machinery and equipment for various industries--
and the importation of Iranian-origin goods. The licenses issued 
authorized certain financial transactions, transactions relating to air 
safety policy, and to disposal of U.S.-owned goods located in Iran. 
Pursuant to sections 3 and 4 of Executive Order 12959 and consistent 
with the Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 and other 
statutory restrictions concerning certain goods and technology, 
including those involved in air-safety cases, the Department of the 
Treasury continues to consult with the Departments of State and Commerce 
on these matters.
    The U.S. financial community continues to scrutinize transactions 
associated with Iran and to consult with OFAC about their appropriate 
handling. Many of these inquiries have resulted in investigations into 
the activities of U.S. parties and, where appropriate, the initiation of 
enforcement action.
    6. The U.S. Customs Service has continued to effect numerous 
seizures of Iranian-origin merchandise, primarily carpets, for violation 
of the import prohibitions of the ITR. Various enforcement actions 
carried over from previous reporting periods are continuing and new 
reports of violations are being aggressively pursued. Since my last 
report, OFAC has collected six civil monetary penalties totaling nearly 
$84,000 for violations of IEEPA and the ITR.

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    7. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the 6-month 
period from September 15, 1997, through March 14, 1998, that are 
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities 
conferred by the declaration of a national emergency with respect to 
Iran are reported to be approximately $1.3 million, most of which 
represent wage and salary costs for Federal personnel. Personnel costs 
were largely centered in the Department of the Treasury (particularly in 
the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Customs Service, the 
Office of the Under Secretary for Enforcement, and the Office of the 
General Counsel), the Department of State (particularly the Bureau of 
Economic and Business Affairs, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the 
Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and the Office of the Legal 
Adviser), and the Department of Commerce (the Bureau of Export 
Administration and the General Counsel's Office).
    8. The situation reviewed above continues to present an 
extraordinary and unusual threat to the national security, foreign 
policy, and economy of the United States. The declaration of the 
national emergency with respect to Iran contained in Executive Order 
12957 and the comprehensive economic sanctions imposed by Executive 
Order 12959 underscore the United States Government's opposition to the 
actions and policies of the Government of Iran, particularly its support 
of international terrorism and its efforts to acquire weapons of mass 
destruction and the means to deliver them. The Iranian Transactions 
Regulations issued pursuant to Executive Orders 12957, 12959, and 13059 
continue to advance important objectives in promoting the 
nonproliferation and anti-terrorism policies of the United States. I 
shall exercise the powers at my disposal to deal with these problems and 
will report periodically to the Congress on significant developments.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
March 16, 1998.