Congress threatens to go ballistic over Russian arms sales to Iran
Lawmakers demand tough sanctions on conventional weapons violations.
Congress has a message for Russian arms dealers eyeing Iran: Forget about it.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., wants to force the Obama administration to harshly deal with any conventional arms transfers to Tehran. The move is part of a three-pronged sanctions strategy that would also renew the expiring Iran Sanctions Act and punish Iran for its recent ballistic missile launches.
“In the event there are violations, the snap-back provisions that are a part of the [nuclear] agreement mean that there has to be something to snap back to,” Corker told Voice of America last week. “So extending that, dealing with conventional weapons and dealing with ballistic missiles are three areas that I think we have a possibility of reaching consensus on.”
While those missiles have received most of the attention, recent reports that Russia is considering selling Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and military helicopters have also drawn congressional ire. Under the nuclear deal with Iran, such weapons transfers remain prohibited for five years unless authorized by the UN Security Council, but Corker is worried that the current administration may be reluctant to harshly punish such violations to avoid undermining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
