Executive Order 13871, signed on May 8, 2019, established sweeping sanctions targeting Iran's primary industrial commodity sectors: iron, steel, aluminum, and copper. The executive order prohibited all U.S. persons and entities from conducting transactions involving these materials originating from Iran and extended restrictions to foreign companies engaging in such trade. The legal mechanism rested on the president's authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which permits executive sanctions during declared national emergencies. The order effectively closed American markets to Iranian industrial exports and sought to pressure foreign trading partners into compliance through the threat of secondary sanctions against their own commercial interests.

American importers of raw materials, construction companies, automotive manufacturers, and appliance producers faced direct operational impacts. Businesses that had sourced Iranian iron, steel, aluminum, or copper faced immediate supply chain disruptions and forced diversification to alternative suppliers, often at higher costs. Consumers experienced potential price increases for goods dependent on these commodities, from steel-frame construction to aluminum packaging to copper wiring in electronics and infrastructure projects. Financial institutions managing trade finance had to implement new compliance protocols to avoid transactions that could trigger sanctions violations.

This order represented a significant escalation in the administration's broader Iran containment strategy. It followed the May 2018 withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and complemented subsequent actions including the 2026 maritime blockade deployment and the continuation of Iran national emergency declarations. Rather than standing as an isolated trade measure, the order functioned as one component of a sustained pressure campaign that would intensify through military posturing and successive executive actions, demonstrating a consistent pattern of economic and military escalation without pursuing negotiated resolution.

The order remains active as of 2026, with no successful legal challenges formally blocking its implementation. Congress neither approved nor formally opposed the measure, maintaining the traditional deference to executive foreign policy authority in sanctions matters. A complete reversal would require either presidential action through a new executive order, congressional legislation, or a significant shift in diplomatic relations with Iran restoring the conditions that preceded maximum pressure policies.