U.S. Vows to Speed Aid to Iran Earthquake Victims

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it would expedite applications to help Iran’s earthquake victims. Prospective donors have expressed worry and confusion over whether such charitable aid runs afoul of the extensive American sanctions imposed on the country because of its disputed nuclear program.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which oversees a bureaucratic maze of regulations on Iranian sanctions, requires a special license for making charitable donations. Exemptions are granted for personal remittances.