President Obama is on his way out the door and he is doing most everything possible under his executive authority to bolster the Iran Deal before president-elect Trump gets into office.
The deal sets a timetable for the lifting of sanctions on U.S. companies being barred from doing business in Iran, with some exemptions. Boeing, for instance, was exempted from the ban at the start and announced a $25 billion dollar sale to Iran in June, but the GOP controlled Congress passed legislation to block banks from financing it.
The Obama administration may make more companies exempt from sanctions (which remain in place until 2023) in an effort to bolster economic ties between the two countries and make it more difficult for the Trump administration to “tear up” the agreement - something president-elect Trump has promised to do. The White House is considering issuing more licenses to allow U.S. businesses to conduct business in Iran.
Republican critics of the Iran Deal are having none of it. They argue the agreement is assisting a radical regime and that money from the deal is being funneled to terrorist organizations. On top of that, they point to the fact that the Iranian government has blatantly broken numerous tenets of the agreement
The United Nations just recently blew the whistle on Iran having 100 kilograms more heavy water (an ingredient for some nuclear reactors) than what was agreed upon.
In response, State Department Spokesman John Kirby said Monday that revelations of Iran hoarding more heavy water than allowed is not a testament to their lack of good will, but demonstrates how non-compliance is easily identified. “The system worked in the sense that we found it and they’re addressing it,” Kirby said. According to the spokesman, catching Iran breaking their agreement is a sign it's working...
In an effort to publicize Obama’s actions and to request no further lifting of sanctions, Speaker Ryan and other GOP leaders sent a letter to the president Tuesday.
BREAKING ? I just sent a letter with @GOPLeader & @RepEdRoyce to President Obama asking him to halt any plans for new concessions to #Iran. pic.twitter.com/VLkE7mEKkD
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 22, 2016
We'll see what Obama does exactly before his time is up in January.