Maybe the single subject Democrats and Republicans can truly agree on in Washington, today and maybe for a long time to come, will be upgrading sanctions against the Iranian regime, according to an op-ed on Tuesday in The Hill.
The article pointed out that the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) extended Congressional prohibitions against the mullahs for another decade. “This move enjoyed bipartisan support that is rare to find these days in Washington.”
A 99-0 vote in the Senate and 419-1 in the House, as well as discussions within President-elect Donald Trump’s camp weighing new, non-nuclear sanctions against Iran’s regime are crystal clear indications about what is to be expected from Jan. 20 onward come the new administration in town, wrote Iranian dissident Heshmat Alavi.
“The outright majority of favor votes to this new extension proves the major faults existing in the Obama-crafted Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the entire negotiation process from 2012 to 2015 that led to such a strategic mistake,” the article added.
“Obama managed to merely isolate Iran’s nuclear drive and ambitions, but at what cost?”
“The Obama Doctrine unfortunately blindfolded the West from ever realizing how Iran’s mullahs continue to push forward a wide variety of other disruptions.”
“Their long slate includes horrendous human rights violations, a relentless effort to obtain long range ballistic missiles, and devastating the entire Middle East.”
“It goes beyond doubt Iran remains the leading state sponsor of terrorism, providing significant material and financial support for Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, Shiite militias in Iraq, its foot-soldier Houthis in Yemen, the Lebanese Hezbollah to stockpile tens of thousands of missiles, and more.”
“Arab states have also comprehended the message of Trump’s election, as 11 such governments issued an unprecedented letter to the outgoing United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warning of Iran’s meddling in the Middle East.”
“This stretches beyond the Middle East as well. Recently, two Iranian citizens (probable spies or terrorists) were apprehended in Kenya. Rest assured if serious investigations take place Iran’s fingerprints will be found, especially since the two were arrested in a diplomatic car.”
“With Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in passing the ISA, one can sense the pressure they had to endure under Obama to pledge their support for his foreign policy of waiving Iran sanctions.”
“In the meantime, Tehran took full advantage to elevate its proxy influence, network of terrorists and rendering a completely destabilized, flashpoint-style, crisis-riddled Middle East.”
The op-ed added that the Iranian regime considered the Obama foreign policy a “green light to continue its conglomerate of devious activities jeopardizing peace and security across the region, especially as Obama repeatedly had the legitimate right to inflict sanctions, and refused to do so.”
“Team Trump and the new Republican Congress have their own set of cohesive options and targets on how to make Tehran’s mullahs feel the pain. One very realistic measure is standing alongside the Iranian people — after Obama failed to do so — and their democratic opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran.”
“With the mullahs out of power in Tehran, the cure for the dilemmas they caused, diseasing the Middle East and beyond, will begin to spread instead.”