Senator Bob Corker made the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s sanctions against Iran.
“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.
"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.
I look forward to working with the Trump administration and my congressional colleagues in a bipartisan manner to strongly enforce nuclear restrictions and further hold Iran accountable.”
Senator Corker voted against the nuclear deal with Iran and led the opposition in Congress. Since the agreement was signed in 2015, Iran has violated international restrictions on ballistic missiles and arms exports while also exceeding limits on nuclear material set by the JCPOA, he said.
Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue also applauded action by the Trump administration to impose increased sanctions on Iran following this week’s reported ballistic missile test by Iran.
“We must continue to send a strong message to Iran’s leaders that we will not tolerate any kind of destabilizing activity, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles,” said Senator Isakson, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It is long past time we hold Iran’s feet to the fire. I am glad President Trump is approaching this threat with the strength and resilience that was lacking in the previous administration.”
“It’s about time we have a president who will hold this rogue nation accountable,” said Senator Perdue, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Iran’s belligerent behavior went unpunished for too long by the previous president for political reasons. I’m glad it’s not lost on President Trump that Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism, and trusting Iran to change is not only naive, but also creates a national security risk for our ally Israel. Our shared priority remains preventing Iran from ever attaining a nuclear weapon.”
Iran, the largest state sponsor of terror, continues to push the boundaries with yet another reported ballistic missile test on January 29, 2017. Senators Isakson and Perdue believe today’s action by the White House will finally begin to put pressure on Iran to end its provocative and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East.
Senators Isakson and Perdue repeatedly warned against the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name of President Obama’s dangerous nuclear agreement with Iran, and they both voted to reject the implementation of the deal last year. Since President Obama’s agreement was signed, Iran has violated international restrictions on ballistic missiles and arms exports while also exceeding limits on nuclear material set by the JCPOA, all of which went unpunished by President Obama.
The Georgia senators joined a unanimous 99-0 vote of the Senate on Dec. 1, 2016, to pass the Iran Sanctions Extension Act to hold Iran accountable for its attempts to threaten the United States and destabilize the Middle East.