17JUN

NIAC asks Treasury to restore licences

1 min read

10:21UTC

The National Iranian American Council wrote to Scott Bessent and Marco Rubio on 31 August demanding the suspensions be reversed, arguing the exemptions were created to fix harm the sanctions themselves caused.

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Key takeaway

NIAC asked Treasury to restore licences Treasury itself wrote to cure sanctions harm.

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a Washington advocacy group for Iranian Americans, wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday 31 August demanding reversal of the general-licence suspensions. NIAC president Jamal Abdi said the exemptions "were first established over a decade ago to resolve harmful unintended consequences of U.S. sanctions"⁠¹.

Abdi's argument turns on authorship rather than on policy preference. Treasury wrote those licences itself, in response to consequences it had documented, which makes the case for restoring them one Treasury can grant without conceding anything about the wider programme. That is why the letter goes to the department rather than to a court: a general licence is discretionary, and its suspension is not an adjudication anyone can appeal.

The courts have not been quick for Iranians on adjacent matters. A federal judge dismissed an Iranian-Swedish national's suit over a two-year US visa delay on 14 August, which tells the next applicant in a similar position that delay alone is unlikely to be treated as reviewable. No legal challenge to the licence suspensions has been filed that we could find, and the wind-down window closes on 8 September regardless of whether the letter is answered.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

A Washington advocacy group for Iranian Americans wrote to two senior US officials asking them to reverse the licence suspensions, arguing the permissions were created years ago specifically to fix harm the sanctions themselves were causing to ordinary people. A letter like this carries no legal force. It is a request, not an appeal, because the licence system offers no formal way to challenge Treasury's decision.

Deep Analysis

Root Causes

A general licence is issued at Treasury's own discretion under the underlying sanctions statute, not through a notice-and-comment rulemaking. That means there is no formal administrative appeal a licensee can file to compel reinstatement; a letter to the Secretary is close to the only lever available short of litigation.

Litigation itself is a weak option here, because courts generally defer heavily to the executive's discretion over sanctions licensing, leaving political pressure as the practical remedy.

Sources:National Iranian American Council

Mentions:Scott Bessent →Marco Rubio →Washington →

First Reported In

Update #175 · Iran says it re-mined the cleared lanes

National Iranian American Council· 3 Sept 2026

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Causes and effects

Caused by

OFAC suspends five Iran general licences

NIAC's letter demands reversal of OFAC's 24 August licence suspension.

Occurred 23 Aug 2026

Read story →

This Event

NIAC asks Treasury to restore licences

A letter is the fastest route available against a suspension that carries no administrative appeal.

Led to

OFAC designates 27 of Iran's airlines

OFAC proceeded to widen airline sanctions despite NIAC's unanswered 31 August appeal to reverse the licence stays.

Occurred 7 Sept 2026

Read story →

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