A group of Republican senators criticized the Obama administration on Monday for delaying sanctions against Iran’s missile program, saying that it sets a dangerous precedent showing that the U.S. will not respond to Iranian violations.
The administration announced last week that it would impose sanctions against Iran for two ballistic missile tests last year that violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. Iran pushed back in response, saying it would speed up development of its ballistic missile program.
Shortly after, the administration said sanctions were no longer imminent, though it emphasized the delay wasn’t due to influence from the Iranians.
“Ultimately, we will impose those financial penalties, we’ll impose those sanctions at a time and place of our choosing, when our experts believe they would have the maximum impact,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday at a briefing. “And those decisions are not subject to negotiation by the Iranians or anyone else, for that matter.”
Some Republican senators, however, said the lack of consequences will “confirm the dangerous perception of the regime in Iran that it can ignore its obligations with impunity and the Obama administration will do nothing.”
Republicans Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mark Kirk of Illinois urged the administration to impose a “strong set of sanctions” against Iran as a result of the recent missile tests.
At the same time as the U.S. is preparing to impose sanctions for the ballistic missile tests, it also is getting ready to lift a much larger set of sanctions for Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal. The group of Republicans, with other lawmakers, urged the administration not to lift those sanctions until Iran “ends all military dimensions of its nuclear program, including the development of ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.”
The U.S. has said that it retained the right to levy sanctions against Iran for issues such as support of terrorism or human rights trafficking under the nuclear deal, but Iranian officials have said any sanctions could violate the historic deal reached last year.
