Top Republicans announced support for President Trump’s Friday decision to impose sanctions on Iran after that country tested a ballistic missile last weekend in violation of a United Nations resolution.
The Treasury Department announced that new sanctions will apply to 13 people and 12 companies in Iran. In a statement, House Speaker Paul Ryan praised Trump for his “swift and decisive response” after the missile test last weekend, adding that it shows the administration is “serious” about holding the Iranians accountable.
“Iran’s latest ballistic missile test was a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions. This swift and decisive response proves that our new administration is serious about holding the Iranian regime accountable for its illicit behavior,” Ryan said.
“I applaud President Trump for imposing new sanctions to crack down on Tehran’s dangerous ballistic missile program and support for terrorism across the globe,” he added.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he’s encouraged to see the president keeping his word only days after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn announced that the administration would be putting Iran “on notice.”
“The president said we were putting Iran on notice, and I’m glad to see he’s as good as his word,” Cotton said. “Iran’s ayatollahs will stop their provocations only if the U.S. shows strength and resolve. These sanctions are long overdue, and they’re sending the right message to the regime in Tehran: Cease and desist immediately.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said in a statement that the announcement shows that there is a “new day” in the U.S., and called the move “long overdue.”
“This announcement makes clear that it is a new day in U.S.-Iran relations and that we will no longer tolerate Iran’s destabilizing behavior,” said Corker. “A coordinated, multi-faceted effort to pushback against a range of illicit Iranian behavior is long overdue, and after speaking with General Flynn this morning, I am very encouraged by the professionalism with which the administration has orchestrated these actions and how they have communicated their intentions to the international community.”
Corker added that he is looking forward to helping the administration enforce the restrictions on Iran and to hold them “accountable.”
