U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

19–011 2012

112th Congress, 2d Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 112–85 

EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH RESPECT TO THE ACTIONS 

AND POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN 

MESSAGE 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

NOTIFICATION OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT TAKES ADDITIONAL STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY 

DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 12957 OF MARCH 15, 1995 

FEBRUARY 6, 2012.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed 


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To the Congress of the United States: 

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 

(50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued 

an Executive Order (the ‘‘order’’) that takes additional steps with 

respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 

12957 of March 15, 1995. 

In Executive Order 12957, the President found that the actions 

and policies of the Government of Iran threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. To deal with 

that threat, the President in Executive Order 12957 declared a national emergency and imposed prohibitions on certain transactions 

with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources. To 

further respond to that threat, Executive Order 12959 of May 6, 

1995, imposed comprehensive trade and financial sanctions on 

Iran. Executive Order 13059 of August 19, 1997, consolidated and 

clarified the previous orders. To take additional steps with respect 

to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 and 

to implement section 105(a) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 

Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–195) 

(22 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.) (CISADA), I issued Executive Order 13553 

on September 28, 2010, to impose sanctions on officials of the Government of Iran and other persons acting on behalf of the Government of Iran determined to be responsible for or complicit in certain serious human rights abuses. To take further additional steps 

with respect to the threat posed by Iran and to provide implementing authority for a number of the sanctions set forth in the 

Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–172) (50 U.S.C. 1701 

note) (ISA), as amended by CISADA, I issued Executive Order 

13574 on May 23, 2011, to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury 

to implement certain sanctions imposed by the Secretary of State 

pursuant to ISA, as amended by CISADA. Finally, to take additional steps with respect to the threat posed by Iran, I issued Executive Order 13590 on November 20, 2011, to authorize the Secretary of State to impose sanctions on persons providing certain 

goods, services, technology, information, or support that contribute 

either to Iran’s development of petroleum resources or to Iran’s 

production of petrochemicals, and to authorize the Secretary of the 

Treasury to implement some of those sanctions. 

I have determined that additional sanctions are warranted, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of 

Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned 

parties, the deficiencies in Iran’s anti-money laundering regime 

and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and 

unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by 

Iran’s activities. 

The order also implements section 1245(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81) 


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(NDAA) by blocking the property and interests in property of Iranian financial institutions pursuant to IEEPA. 

The order blocks the property and interests in property of the following: • The Government of Iran, including the Central Bank of 

Iran; • Any Iranian financial institution, including the Central 

Bank of Iran; and • Persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf 

of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order. 

The prohibitions of the order do not apply to property and interests in property of the Government of Iran that were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, and thereafter made subject to the transfer directives set forth in Executive 

Order 12281 of January 19, 1981, and implementing regulations 

thereunder. In addition, nothing in the order prohibits transactions 

for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government 

by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof. 

I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary 

to carry out the blocking-related purposes of the order. All agencies 

of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions 

of the order. 

I have also delegated certain functions and authorities conferred 

by section 1245 of the NDAA to the Secretary of the Treasury and 

the Secretary of State in consultation with other appropriate agencies as specified in the order. 

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 5, 2012. 


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EXECUTIVE ORDER

BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN AND IRANIAN

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) 

(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), 

section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81) (NDAA), and section 301 of title 3, 

United States Code, 

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, 

in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 of March 15, 1995, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of 

Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned 

parties, the deficiencies in Iran’s anti-money laundering regime 

and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and 

unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by 

Iran’s activities, hereby order: 

Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property of the Government of Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in 

the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, 

or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of 

any United States person, including any foreign branch, are 

blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or 

otherwise dealt in. 

(b) All property and interests in property of any Iranian financial 

institution, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in the 

United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or 

that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any 

United States person, including any foreign branch, are blocked 

and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in. 

(c) All property and interests in property that are in the United 

States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are 

or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United 

States person, including any foreign branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 

to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act 

for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. 

Sec. 2. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the 

type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 


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1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this 

order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order. 

Sec. 3. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are 

not limited to: (a) the making of any contribution or provision of 

funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person 

whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to 

this order; and 

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, 

or services from any such person. 

Sec. 4. (a) The prohibitions in section 1 of this order apply except 

to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and 

notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit 

granted prior to the effective date of this order. 

(b) The prohibitions in section 1 of this order do not apply to 

property and interests in property of the Government of Iran that 

were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 

1979, and thereafter made subject to the transfer directives set 

forth in Executive Order 12281 of January 19, 1981, and implementing regulations thereunder. 

Sec. 5. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within 

the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading 

or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the 

prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. 

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set 

forth in this order is prohibited. 

Sec. 6. Nothing in section 1 of this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof. 

Sec. 7. For the purposes of this order: (a) the term ‘‘person’’ 

means an individual or entity; 

(b) the term ‘‘entity’’ means a partnership, association, trust, 

joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; 

(c) the term ‘‘United States person’’ means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of 

the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States; 

(d) the term ‘‘Government of Iran’’ means the Government of 

Iran, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, 

including the Central Bank of Iran, and any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Iran; 

(e) the term ‘‘Iran’’ means the territory of Iran and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and 

continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran exercises partial or total de facto control over the 

area or derives a benefit from economic activity in the area pursuant to international arrangements; and 

(f) the term ‘‘Iranian financial institution’’ means a financial institution organized under the laws of Iran or any jurisdiction within Iran (including foreign branches), any financial institution in 


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Iran, any financial institution, wherever located, owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, and any financial institution, 

wherever located, owned or controlled by any of the foregoing. 

Sec. 8. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice 

to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order 

would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine 

that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, there need be no 

prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 

1 of this order. 

Sec. 9. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary 

to carry out the purposes of this order, other than the purposes described in section 11. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate 

any of these functions and authorities to other officers and agencies 

of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. 

All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed 

to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out 

the provisions of this order. 

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to exercise the functions 

and authorities conferred upon the President by section 

1245(d)(1)(A) of the NDAA and to redelegate these functions and 

authorities consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of the 

Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred 

upon the President by section 1245(g)(1) of the NDAA to the extent 

necessary to exercise the other functions and authorities delegated 

in this section and may redelegate these functions and authorities 

consistent with applicable law. 

Sec. 11. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Energy, and the Director 

of National Intelligence, is hereby authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by section 

1245(d)(4)(D) of the NDAA and to redelegate these functions and 

authorities consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of State, 

in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred 

upon the President by sections 1245(e)(1) and 1245(e)(2) of the 

NDAA and to redelegate these functions and authorities consistent 

with applicable law. The Secretary of State, in consultation with 

the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by 

section 1245(g)(1) of the NDAA to the extent necessary to exercise 

the other functions and authorities delegated in this section and 

may redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law. 

Sec. 12. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any 

right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 


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equity by any party against the United States, its departments, 

agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other 

person. 

Sec. 13. The measures taken pursuant to this order are in response to actions of the Government of Iran occurring after the 

conclusion of the 1981 Algiers Accords, and are intended solely as 

a response to those later actions. 

Sec. 14. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard 

time on February 6, 2012. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 5, 2012. 

Æ 


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