UANI Applauds U.S. Senate for Toughening Sanctions Against Iran on Eve of Baghdad Talks, Calls for Further Action

May 22, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2012
Contact: Nathan Carleton, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296

UANI Applauds U.S. Senate for Toughening Sanctions Against Iran on Eve of Baghdad Talks, Calls for Further Action

New York, NY - On Tuesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate's passage of new Iran sanctions:

We applaud the U.S. Senate for taking this strong and unanimous action to further isolate the Iranian regime. Now is the time for the most robust sanctions against Iran in history, and U.S. lawmakers are effectively presenting a united front.

It is still possible to prevent Iran from going nuclear and to avoid war, but only if the U.S. and its allies use all of their leverage to sanction and isolate the regime. Doing so will show the regime that the world is fully committed to this cause, and willing to do whatever is necessary.

We again call on lawmakers in the U.S. and elsewhere to impose an economic blockade against the regime: based on banking, insurance, disclosure and debarment, and shipping. By closing all of the loopholes the regime is now exploiting to avoid sanctions, the world can show Iran it has no choice but to change course.

The Johnson-Shelby bill includes numerous measures to increase pressure on Iran. It requires intensified targeting of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, and sanctions Iranian energy and uranium mining joint ventures.

It also sanctions financial messaging service providers that provide services to sanctioned Iranian financial institutions. This year, UANI first raised this issue and led a successful campaign against the SWIFT financial network that culminated in SWIFT being forced to cut off access to Iranian banks.

The sanctions also require firms traded on U.S. stock exchanges to disclose Iran-related activity to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This measure is based on UANI model regulations first devised in 2010 and introduced in the U.S. House by Representative Ted Deutch (FL-19) after consultations with UANI.

The bill also mandates sanctions against those who supply Iran with the weapons and technologies it uses to commit human rights abuses, including irresponsible firms such as MTN.

Click here to learn more about UANI model legislation.

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