Sullivan Votes to Extend Sanctions on Iran

Statement

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today voted in favor of an extension of the Iran Sanctions Act, which passed the Senate on a vote of 99 to 0. The Act extends sanctions on Iran through 2026.

"As many of us who opposed President Obama's Iran nuclear deal predicted, Iran has not curbed its support for terrorism, development of its ballistic missile capabilities, nor its efforts to destabilize the Middle East," said Senator Dan Sullivan. "In fact, just yesterday, Army General Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, said we have witnessed "a bit of an uptick' in Iran's nefarious activities since the implementation of the deal. If Iran's support for terrorism, repeated violation of U.N. resolutions, and hostility toward our allies in the region do not continue to be met with strong consequences, we risk encouraging the regime, already emboldened with billions of dollars in economic relief, to act with further aggression. Until Iran demonstrates a clear change in behavior, the United States and all members of the community of nations have a duty to continue existing sanctions on the regime for its unrelenting threats to peace and order."

The Iran Sanctions Act, originally passed in 1996 and renewed in 2006 for a ten-year term, imposes punitive measures to "pressure Iran to cease its nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile weapons programs and (its) support for international terrorism."

The Act was set to expire at the end of 2016. The House passed companion legislation extending the Iran Sanctions Act two weeks ago on a vote of 419 to 1.

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