WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- The US administration announced on Wednesday temporary measures to ease sanctions on Iran in orderto speed up the flow of humanitarian relief to victims of earthquake in Bam.

    Americans will be allowed to donate funds to private organizations for relief and reconstruction efforts in Iran and the measure will last 90 days, beginning last Saturday, the US Treasury said.

    The White House said in a statement that the measures were ordered by President George W. Bush.

    "The president has directed Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of the Treasury John Snow to take significant steps to expedite disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations in response to the devastating earthquake in Bam,Iran," said the statement issued from Crawford, Texas, where Bush is vacationing.

    "The Iranian people deserve and need the assistance of the international community to help them recover from the catastrophicresults of last week's earthquake," the White House said.

    "Getting aid to those so greatly affected by this devastating earthquake is a top priority," Treasury Secretary John Snow said. The goal was to speed up the process of helping Iranians, he added.

    Under the new measures, export of transportation equipment, satellite telephones and radio and personal computing systems willalso be permitted to help manage relief efforts.

    It is illegal to transport funds to Iran because of US sanctions imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

    The United States and Iran broke diplomatic relations in 1980. The Bush administration named Iran as a member of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    But after the earthquake in Bam measuring 6.3 on the Richter onscale, the Bush administration indicated that the United States would join the ring of countries providing aid for Iran.

    Over the weekend, US humanitarian aid has been transferred to victims of the earthquake which is believed to claim up to 40,000 lives.

    However, the White House denied a policy change toward Iran. "The US has a clear and consistent policy towards Iran and that policy is not changed," White House spokesman Trent Duffy said on Tuesday.

    "We've made clear to the Iranian government on many occasions our grave concerns regarding its support for terrorism, pursuit ofweapons of mass destruction and other of its activities," Duffy said. Enditem