September 13-2013
The Obama Administration loosened sanctions Tuesday in a modest way that was taken as a sign of diplomatic goodwill being sent to the Rohani Administration.
The sanctions change will make it easier for US humanitarian groups to work in Iran and sports exchanges to occur between Americans and Iranians.
The move announced by the US Treasury Department means non-profit groups focused on disaster relief, wildlife conservation, human rights and similar programs will no longer have to apply for a special license to enter Iran and conduct business there.
It also allows Iranian and US athletes to pay for sports exchanges and matches between the two countries without a special application. However, USA Wrestling, the main group sending athletes to Iran, knows the bureaucracy and has been applying for and getting the licenses easily for a decade. Furthermore, when a US table tennis group was invited to Iran several years ago and sought to go, it was the Iranian government that stopped the group, not the US government. So, the practical impact of the change remains to be seen.
“I would read this as a significant sign that the United States is pulling out the gestures that are available, and that the positive gestures from Rohani are begetting positive gestures from our side,” said Jamal Abdi, policy director at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).
“Particularly with the absence of direct diplomatic relations between the governments of the two countries, it’s really important that we do have channels for ordinary people to be communicating, and to get around the political difficulties,” he said.
The U.S. government has said it always tries to sanction Iran without unduly harming ordinary Iranians, granting licenses, for example, to US companies that want to export pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and other humanitarian goods to the country.
“This action further demonstrates this administration’s commitment to reinforcing ties between the Iranian and American people,” the US Treasury said in its statement Tuesday.