Ayotte: Treasury Department Announcement Will Help Enrich World's Worst State Sponsor of Terrorism
Statement
Following the Treasury Department's announcement late Friday regarding Iran sanctions, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte today issued the following statement:
"To the disturbingly long list of Obama administration concessions, exceptions, and side agreements for Tehran that have made a very bad Iran nuclear agreement even worse, we can now add the Treasury Department's guidance on Friday-which will encourage more business with Tehran and put more money in the pockets of the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism. After codifying an Iran nuclear agreement that paves Tehran's path to a nuclear weapons capability, this administration has now provided $1.7 billion in a cash ransom payment, consented to the shredding of sanctions on the bank that finances Iran's ballistic missile program, and sent the signal that it is ok to do business with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-which has the blood of Americans and our allies on its hands," said Senator Ayotte.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in September, Senator Ayotte questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford on Iran's ballistic missile program and support for terrorism, as well as the administration's decision to covertly pay Iran $1.7 billion in cash-including a $400 million ransom payment for the release of American hostages. During the hearing, General Dunford called reports that the Iranian military was benefiting directly from the Obama administration's cash payment "troubling" and said Iran will be "more effective" in spreading malign influence with the additional funds. He also testified that, "...I would prefer that we not provide additional resources to Iran."
In response to Iran's ballistic missile tests, Ayotte introduced in March the Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act of 2016, which would impose tough primary and secondary sanctions on every sector of the Iranian economy that directly or indirectly supports Iran's ballistic missile program.
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