WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to urge the Biden Administration to work with our allies and partners to impose a new arms embargo on Iran.
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Hagerty and Ernst write, “As you know in 2016, the United Nations Security Council extended a ban on the transfer of arms but in a concession to Iran, allowed this ban to expire on October 18, 2020. Despite objections from the United States, our efforts to renew this arms embargo last year at the United Nations were not successful.”
They continue, “As we face ever increasing challenges with Iran attempting to build nuclear weapons, terrorize its neighbors, and expand its influence across the Middle East, we must prevent Iran from further threatening the international community. We urge you to renew the effort for the United States to work with our allies and partners on an effective and enforceable arms embargo regime against Iran as soon as possible.”
Last week, Hagerty introduced the Iran Sanctions Relief Act of 2021, a bill that would enable Congress to approve—or block—any Administration effort to suspend or terminate U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime. He also co-signed a resolution to oppose sanctions on Iran.
The full text of the letter is included below.
Dear Secretary Blinken,
We urge you to renew the effort by the United States with our key allies and partners to impose a new arms embargo on Iran. As you know in 2016, the United Nations Security Council extended a ban on the transfer of arms but in a concession to Iran, allowed this ban to expire on October 18, 2020. Despite objections from the United States, our efforts to renew this arms embargo last year at the United Nations were not successful.
We must impose a meaningful and effective arms embargo, complete with secondary sanctions, to prevent countries and businesses from selling weapons and arms to Iran as well as preventing Iran from selling its weapons abroad. We are increasingly concerned with Iran’s illicit and destabilizing activities around the globe. Iran is not only a threat to U.S. security, but also to our allies and partners. Unless we act, Iran will continue to bolster extremist groups and militias throughout the Middle East. We must make a stand that U.S. and like-minded nations will punish those who buy from and sell arms to Iran, especially Russia who stands to supply most of the advanced weapon systems Iran wants to acquire.
Iran has made it clear that they are a threat to our nation, our allies, partners, and the entire global community. As we face ever increasing challenges with Iran attempting to build nuclear weapons, terrorize its neighbors, and expand its influence across the Middle East, we must prevent Iran from further threatening the international community. We urge you to renew the effort for the United States to work with our allies and partners on an effective and enforceable arms embargo regime against Iran as soon as possible.