Washington, D.C. - Congressman Brad Sherman on Thursday said Iran must suffer the consequences for defying a United Nations deadline for freezing its nuclear program.
The United Nations Security Council three months ago gave Iran an August 31 deadline to stop enriching uranium, a process that can produce material for atomic weapons.
Sherman said the Security Council should impose stringent economic sanctions, and the United States should embargo all Iranian goods, punish American companies with subsidiaries operating in Iran, and enforce a law against foreign firms that invest in Iran’s energy sector.
“It is highly unlikely that the Bush administration can pass significant sanctions. Bush's repeated failure to link the Iran issue to our positions on issues of great import to Russia and China means these two countries have inadequate incentive to support serious sanctions,” said Sherman.
“The U.S. should remain ready to negotiate and be willing to offer improved relations if Iran abandons its nuclear weapons program and its support for terrorists,” he added.
Sherman is a senior member of the International Relations Committee and the ranking member of the Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee.