Senate

Senators to Trump: We support additional Iran sanctions

by Jordain Carney - 02/02/17 7:00 PM ET

A bipartisan group of senators said Thursday that they support additional sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile tests, amid reports that the Trump administration will roll out financial penalties.

Twenty-two senators sent a letter — spearheaded by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) — arguing that Iran “must feel sufficient pressure.”

“Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program are necessary,” the senators wrote in the letter to Trump.

{mosads}They added that “we look forward to supporting your Administration’s efforts to hold Iran accountable.”

Reuters reported on Thursday that the Trump administration will roll out additional sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program, as well as terrorist activities.

Trump also tweeted early Thursday morning that “Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missiles.”

The bipartisan support for new Iran sanctions is a rare area of foreign policy agreement between the Senate and Trump, which have been locked in a public fight over Russia sanctions and the administration’s executive order on refugees.

The senators added that they hope “the international community can unite around the common cause of countering Iran’s troubling actions” including enforcing a UN Security Council resolution on Iran’s ballistic missile program.

In addition to Cardin and Corker, Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Chris Coons (Del.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Bob Casey (Penn.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.), and Republican Senators Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Todd Young (Ind.), Cory Gardner(Colo.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Jim Risch (Idaho), and Rob Portman (Ohio) signed the letter.