WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., are concerned about Iran’s second ballistic missile test since a pact was agreed upon to limit the country’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
At a hearing this week of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gardner and other senators criticized the Obama administration for not taking stronger steps to admonish the Iranian regime for its continued violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“This permissive environment that we have created, in which we acknowledge that Iran is going to continue a program of ballistic missile development regardless of the consequences, that we’ve referred these violations to a committee, that we’ve talked about it, that we’ve sternly reprimanded them, we’ve wagged our finger, has done nothing to protect the American people,” Gardner said during Thursday’s hearing.
In October, Iran test fired a precision-guided ballistic missile that experts said was capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Recent reports indicate that a second ballistic missile test happened at the end of November.
Stephen Mull, a witness before the committee and the State Department’s lead coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation, said that the U.S. was deciding on action.
“We are considering active measures, active consequences for this latest launch,” Mull said.
Although the administration has maintained that the missile tests do not violate the nuclear agreement reached earlier this year, the tests are in violation of several UN Security Council resolutions, including one passed the day after the nuclear accord was reached that compels Iran to stop work on ballistic missiles for eight years.
Gardner said that the U.S. must take unilateral steps to show that it is willing to stand tough in the face of continued Iranian posturing. Without such a move, Gardner maintains that Iran will not back down from its missile program.
“But the fact is, we don’t have the response – and the actions to back it up – when Iran has clearly violated,” Gardner said. “In fact, we haven’t taken any of the steps necessary to prevent them from growing their ballistic missile program, which they will and has been admitted here.”
The reports of a second missile test by Iran led to calls from both sides of the aisle for the administration to maintain sanctions against the country.
Bennet joined with 20 Democratic senators in sending a letter to Obama on Thursday asking that the president take action so the Iranian regime does not “question the willingness of the international community” in responding to violations of the Iran nuclear agreement and the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
“Such action is essential to make clear to Iran’s leaders that there will be consequences for future violations of UN Security Council Resolutions and that the United States reserves the right under the (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) to take unilateral action in response to this and other significant actions by Iran in the areas of ballistic missile development, terrorism and human rights,” the letter states.
The letter from the Democratic senators came after a similar letter to Obama, signed by Gardner and 35 other Republican senators, that was sent earlier this week asking the president to not lift sanctions on Iran.
The administration is reportedly poised to begin offering Iran sanctions relief as early as January.
egraham@durangoherald.com. Edward Graham is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.
