Donnelly: "U.S. Should Be Doing More to Counter Iran'

Press Release

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released the following statement after the Administration certified that Iran is in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and called for the U.S. to take additional action to counter Iran's support for terrorism and human rights violations, as well as its ballistic missile program.

Donnelly, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, "While I am pleased to hear that the administration has certified that the Iran deal is effectively blocking Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, I believe the U.S. should be doing more to counter the Iranian government's support for terrorism, human rights violations, and ballistic missile program. We can and should expand sanctions on Iran for their destabilizing activities across the Middle East without undermining our progress against their nuclear program."

Donnelly helped the Senate pass bipartisan legislation last month, which he helped introduce earlier this year that would expand sanctions on Iran and Russia. The Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act would increase sanctions for Iran's ballistic missile program, support for terrorism, human rights violations, and transfers of weapons to or from Iran. The bill was amended to also strengthen U.S. sanctions against Russia in response to Russian interference in the 2016 elections. That legislation passed 98-2 in the Senate and was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Donnelly has been a vocal advocate for imposing additional sanctions against Iran and earlier this year he praised new sanctions, following a ballistic missile test. As Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee on the Senate Armed Services Committee he also has pushed for fully funding missile defense initiatives that protect the U.S. and our allies in the Middle East.

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