The United States has imposed restrictions on activities with Iran under various legal authorities since 1979, following the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. According to the Department of State, the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation is responsible for enforcing and implementing sanctions programs that restrict access to the United States for companies engaged in certain commercial activities in Iran.
The United States utilizes several statutes to support these sanctions, including the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA), and the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (ITRSHRA). Additionally, sections of the 2012 and 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provide legal frameworks for these measures.
Various executive orders have also been used to implement sanctions. These include orders from 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2025. These orders have addressed matters such as the prohibition of certain transactions, the revocation of previous orders, and the imposition of maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The sanctions landscape is also shaped by United Nations Security Council Resolutions, specifically UNSCR 1737 (2006), UNSCR 1747 (2007), UNSCR 1803 (2008), and UNSCR 1929 (2010).
