Ros-Lehtinen slams Iran’s ‘tour of tyrants,’ calls for tougher sanctions

“Iran has been actively working for years to expand its ties and influence in the Western Hemisphere, and it has found willing partners in the region’s anti-American despots,” Ros-Lehtinen said Wednesday. “Ahmadinejad’s upcoming ‘Tour of Tyrants’ trip illustrates his commitment to deepening those ties and expanding the Iranian threat closer to our shores.”

The House in mid-December approved two bills aimed at tightening sanctions against Iran and sent them to the Senate, which did not act on them before the holiday break. Ros-Lehtinen said the United States must work with other democracies in the region to “prevent further Iranian inroads in the Hemisphere,” and said tougher sanctions are needed.

“As Iran looks for help from allies like Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, it is important that the U.S. impose the strongest possible sanctions against Iran and urge fellow democracies to impose their own sanctions and deny Iranian access to their financial institutions,” she said.

Ros-Lehtinen’s comments come as Iranian officials are threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a major strategic oil route, if Western nations impose new sanctions.