Toxic sanctions
On Tuesday, the Obama Administration announced a new round of sanctions against seven companies that were found in violation of Iran energy sanctions passed into law last year. One of the companies, PDVSA, was sanctioned for selling Iran a compound called reformate—which is used to make gasoline burn cleaner. As reported in December by the […]
Administration Officials Emphasize Multilateral Successes on Iran as Congress Considers New Unilateral Sanctions
As Congress prepares a new round of unilateral Iran sanctions, two top State Department officials discussed the Obama administration’s approach to Iran’s human rights situation last Wednesday before the Middle East subcommittee of Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Analysis: Human Rights Component of New Iran Sanctions Effort is Far Too Limited
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) has introduced the “human rights component” of what will be a “massive” Iran sanctions package expected in time for the AIPAC conference later this month.
Time for Obama to call his opponents’ bluff on Iran
With Republicans now sharing the burden of governing in the next Congress, President Obama has an opportunity to define the terms of the Iran debate instead of spending two more years capitulating to a Democratic Congress worried about appearing weak or out of sync with hardliners on the Iran issue.
Mark Kirk’s Fuzzy Iran Logic
On February 19, Mark Kirk, a Republican Congressman from Illinois running for a promotion to the US Senate, delivered a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to share his views on Iran policy. While initial reports didn’t indicate anything much new was said by the Representative, who has been calling for a gasoline […]
House Denounces Treatment of Baha’is in Iran
The House of Representatives passed a resolution yesterday condemning the persecution of Baha’is by the government of Iran. House Resolution 175 was sponsored by Rep. Mark S. Kirk (R-IL), and passed with a vote of 407-2. The resolution condemns the Iranian government for violating the rights of members of the Baha’i minority, and also calls […]
House Denounces Treatment of Baha’is in Iran
The House of Representatives passed a resolution yesterday condemning the persecution of Baha’is by the government of Iran.
House Resolution Sheds Light on Iran’s Violation of Baha’is Religious Freedom
Last Friday, Representative Mark S. Kirk introduced H. Res. 175, “condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”