Reports out of Washington DC indicate that Republican members of the US Senate have not given up their efforts to pass legislation which would increase sanctions on Iran if the current round of negotiations fail to result in an end to the threat posed by the Islamic Republic’s renegade nuclear program. “A broad bipartisan majority in the Senate would like to vote on Iran sanctions,” Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday. “The dilemma we have here is that the majority leader does not want this vote to occur.” US President Barak Obama has also threatened to veto such legislation if it passes, insisting that it would damage chances for negotiations to succeed. Meanwhile, evidence is increasing that the existing sanctions regime which brought Iran to negotiations is weakening, leading some analysts to question what motivation Iran will have to continue with negotiations or honor any agreement which is eventually reached. Read More
Historically, presidents have resisted congressional involvement that would affect or constrain their diplomatic efforts. Over the past two decades, however, both Republican and Democratic administrations have opposed Iran sanctions legislation only to embrace it later as their own. At this moment, we must not allow Iran to dictate the appropriate role of Congress.
As long as Mr. Rouhani can brazenly declare that he will not dismantle a single centrifuge as part of a final agreement, the United States Congress should proclaim that Iran will pay a steep price for its recklessness. America’s elected representatives are not the problem; the unelected theocrats of Iran are.