WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama declined on Thursday to sign a renewal of sanctions against Iran, but allowed it to become law without his signature.

The bill extends the sanctions against Iran for 10 years.

President Obama had the option to sign it into a law or veto it but instead he chose not to take any action.

“This Administration has made clear that an extension of the Iran Sanctions Act, while unnecessary, is entirely consistent with our commitments in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

“Consistent with this longstanding position, the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act is becoming law without the President’s signature,” the statement added.

The White House had said previously that Mr. Obama would likely sign the bill, but the midnight deadline came and went on Thursday with no approval from the president.

The JCPOA, which became effective in October last year, seeks to reverse Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting US and European economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2016