BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a co-author of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, today issued the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s submission of a formal request to the U.N. Security Council to invoke “snapback” sanctions on Iran.

“The Trump administration continues to isolate the United States from partners who are equally committed to holding Iran accountable. The Iranian regime and its malign activities are not only a threat to the United States, but also to the Middle East and to countries around the world. Iran’s leaders must have no doubt of the seriousness with which the international community views the regime’s aggression. That is why I supported U.S. diplomatic efforts to extend the U.N. arms embargo. But this administration’s go-at-it-alone approach to Iran – underscored by the unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA while Iran was in compliance with its terms – has severely damaged our relationships with key allies, leading ultimately to an embarrassing vote at the U.N. Security Council last week that failed to extend the embargo. For sanctions to be effective against Iran, they need to be recognized and enforced by our like-minded partners. I urge the administration to focus on a strategy against Iran that is rooted in broader support, as well as in de-escalation and diplomacy.”

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