NCRI – U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor described the Iranian regime as a ‘brutal theocracy’ that ‘the international community must confront this growing threat.”
“While Iran’s nuclear program remains an urgent focus, we must not lose sight of the threat posed by Iran’s continued development of ballistic missiles – including with help from North Korea– its support for terrorism, its efforts to foment instability in the region, and its brutal repression of its own population,” Cantor said.
Part of remarks Congressman Eric Cantor on Iran published in a statement:
“Human nature has not changed since World War II. Evil and hateful ideologies still exist in the world. And we run a terrible risk if we fail to recognize and confront such evil before it is too late.
“Perhaps this is most evident in Iran’s determined march to produce nuclear weapons. I can imagine few more destabilizing moments in world history than Iran on the threshold of being a nuclear power.
“Make no mistake: Iran is a brutal theocracy. Its leaders violently repress dissent at home and support conflict and chaos abroad. For years, our State Department has listed Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Many of our troops and innocent American civilians – to say nothing of Arabs and Jews – have lost their lives at the hands of Hizballah and other Iranian proxies.
“Some view Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s new President, as a moderate and a reformer. But Mr. Rouhani is in actuality far less powerful than Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ elite Qods Force. And he is insignificant next to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom they call the Supreme Leader for a reason.
“Khamenei’s bid for regional supremacy has led Iran to support Bashar Assad’s war against the Syrian people, where hundreds of thousands have been slaughtered.
“If given the opportunity, Iran’s leaders would make good on their call to wipe Israel off the map, and armed with nuclear weapons would be a threat to all within range of their missiles, which someday soon may include our own shores.
“The international community must confront this growing threat. In truth, the international community will only act if it is encouraged to do so by an America that leads.
“Like all Americans, I hope to see Iran abandon its nuclear aspirations through peaceful negotiations, but hope is not a strategy. Among other shortcomings, the current interim agreement between the United States and Iran explicitly allows Iran to continue enriching uranium and improving its centrifuge designs, despite the U.N. Security Council Resolutions that call for Iran to suspend exactly these activities.
“If Iran is allowed to become a threshold nuclear state, there will be no stopping regional states like Saudi Arabia and Turkey from also pursuing the bomb, and it is hard to believe such an arms race will be confined to the Middle East. Decades of efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons will become meaningless if the nuclear barn door is kicked open by the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism.
“The United States must remain firm. Already, the limited sanctions relief provided by the interim deal has undermined the perception of international pressure so critical to convincing the Iranians to change course. Not a week goes by without reports of foreign trade delegations heading to Tehran. Sanctions may technically remain in place, but the undeniable impression is that Iran is open for business.
“As we hold the line on firm demands that Iran come into compliance with the repeated demands of the U.N. Security Council, an America that Leads is an America that must work to restore the badly eroded international pressure on Tehran. We should lay the groundwork now for additional sanctions in the event Iran violates the terms of the interim agreement.
“While Iran’s nuclear program remains an urgent focus, we must not lose sight of the threat posed by Iran’s continued development of ballistic missiles – including with help from North Korea– its support for terrorism, its efforts to foment instability in the region, and its brutal repression of its own population.
“Our diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to give up its nuclear designs and change its ways must be accompanied with a credible threat of the use of military force. Unfortunately, our actions in recent years have demonstrated otherwise, and have led to distrust among our allies and the strengthening of our adversaries.”
