TIP Applauds Senate Iran Sanctions Legislation
The Israel Project applauds today's 98-2 vote in the Senate passing the "Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017," and urges the House of Representatives to move swiftly in passing parallel legislation and getting the bill to the President's desk.
"Today's vote was an overwhelming, bipartisan recognition that the United States will no longer tolerate Iran's ballistic missile development and the global menace of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These sanctions are substantive and strong, and they will have a much-needed impact on Iran's ability to export terrorism and build weapons that threaten us and our allies. Equally as important, today's vote shows a renewed understanding in Washington DC that the American people want and expect their lawmakers to act against the regime in Tehran," said Josh Block, president and CEO of The Israel Project.
Notably, the act imposes terrorism sanctions against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In the last six months IRGC officials have openly and repeatedly threatened to attack Israel, and have said they plan to dispatch elite fighters into the United States and Europe. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror, and from the Houthis to Assad, Iran is the leading sponsor of the slaughter, torture and displacement of millions of innocent men, women and children across the Middle East.
The legislation also imposes penalties against activity that contributes to Iran's ballistic missile activity. Since the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran has consistently and publicly improved its ballistic missile capabilities, which can deliver nuclear weapons, and has even broadcast images of cutting-edge missiles stamped with calls for the annihilation of Israel.
"I would strongly encourage Congress and the US Department of Commerce to block the sale of certain American goods to Iran, especially those like airplanes, which have been and could be used by the regime to ferry weapons, terrorists and troops," Block added.
The bill has additional sanctions relating to Iran's violation of the United Nations arms embargo, which Iran has been willfully violating for the last several years – and which the U.N. has refused to act on.
The nuclear deal put Iran on a pathway towards a nuclear weapons capability, and every day Iran gets closer to being able to build nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. In the meantime the deal has worsened Iran's behavior. Since it was announced Iran has abducted more Americans and held them hostage, seized American sailors and repeatedly confronted our Navy, accelerated its human rights crackdowns including hanging dissidents and gays, and installed its troops throughout the Middle East.
"Iran and its proxies claim that these non-nuclear sanctions violate the Iran nuclear deal. That's just more evidence that Iran's real goal with the accord was to shirk all sanctions while using its windfall to advance its ability to threaten the West and our allies across the Middle East. That cannot be allowed to stand," Block said.
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