Ambassador Wendy Sherman fervently defended the U.S. record for protecting human rights in Iran Thursday, though the Obama administration has not sanctioned any Iranian human rights abusers since signing the Iran nuclear agreement in July.
“We have sanctions on human rights in Iran and any entities who are part of those human rights abuses in Iran. We say that forcefully all of the time,” Sherman, who was the lead negotiator for the Iran Deal, said during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “We are no holds barred on what we say about Iran.”
Sherman emphasized that the U.S. could “continue to designate whatever entities” necessary with “human rights sanctions.” She also said that America would be able to take action in a worst-case scenario.
“I can assure you that if Iran takes truly horrific terrorist action, or truly horrific human rights action, that people will respond,” Sherman said.
During congressional testimony Wednesday, Ambassador Stephen Mull, lead coordinator for the implementation of the nuclear agreement, said that the U.S. had not imposed sanctions on any human rights abusers since the nuclear deal was signed.
“There has not been a specific sanction on human rights cases since the signing,” Mull said, but underscored that the U.S. feels strongly about the “very disturbing human rights situation in Iran.”
“We have made that clear very publicly,” he said.
Iran has not seen any “significant improvements in human rights,” despite the election of “a moderate candidate, Hassan Rouhani” as president nearly three years ago, according to Human Rights Watch.
