Ros-Lehtinen Says New U.S. Sanctions Will Exert Pressure on Iran, More Needed

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the announcement that the U.S. has designated multiple companies and persons under the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) and the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) for their violation of these laws: 

“The measures announced today will help exert the type of pressure needed to force the Iranian regime to abandon its nuclear weapons pursuit, its chemical and biological weapons programs, and its support for violent Islamist extremists worldwide. We need to see a lot more of this type of pressure.

“This announcement confirms long-standing Congressional concerns about the support provided to Iran’s energy sector by entities in countries such as Venezuela. It also underscores the growing collaboration between Iran and other pariah states.

“Regrettably, while some Chinese entities are designated, today’s actions fall short of addressing China’s destructive contribution to Iranian proliferation, leave Russia off the hook, and give a pass to a number of European governments for continuing to provide Tehran an economic lifeline through their energy-related dealings with the regime.

“Many of these laws have been in effect since 1996, yet only now is the U.S. beginning to get serious about using them to pressure Tehran to end its destructive activities. I welcome these steps in the right direction, but finishing the job is what really matters.”

NOTE: Ros-Lehtinen is the author of H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction Act (ITRA), which closes loopholes in both energy and financial sanctions and counters the Iranian regime’s efforts to evade them. The bill strengthens sanctions on efforts by the regime to circumvent existing law, adds new sanctions, such as denying visas to individuals who engage in Iran’s energy sector (which is more broadly defined by ITRA), and increases the number of sanctions the Administration is required to impose.