[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 83 (Thursday, May 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAN

  Mr. McCONNELL. On one final matter, the attacks being directed at 
innocent Israeli citizens are coming from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic 
jihad. Both these terrorist groups receive support from Iran.
  The regime in Tehran is the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 
the entire world. The regime supports Shia terrorists, Sunni 
terrorists, and secular terrorists.
  Many of the rockets now raining down on Israel cities are gifts from 
Iran, technologies of terror honed by Iran's proxies in Yemen, Iraq, 
Syria, and Lebanon.
  Days ago, the U.S. Navy seized weapons on a vessel that appears to 
have been dispatched from Iran bound for Yemen to fuel the violent 
Houthi terrorists, in violation of the U.N. embargo. Just last night, 
the Houthis again fired missiles against Saudi Arabia.
  Public reporting suggests Iran's proxies, on top of assassinating 
Iraqi protesters, are stepping up attacks on the U.S. and coalition 
presence in Iraq as well. Iran is emboldened by our retreat from 
Afghanistan. They are eager to challenge an administration that appears 
desperate to return to a failed deal.
  What former Defense Secretary Bob Gates said this week about weakness 
inviting challenge from China and Russia applies to Iran as well.
  The answer is not accommodation; it is America's strength. But 
reportedly, this administration is considering preemptive concessions--
a huge rollback of sanctions, squandering our leverage, just to leap 
back into a failed nuclear deal. I sincerely hope these reports prove 
to be wrong.
  It is difficult to believe an American President would consider 
removing terrorism- or missile-related sanctions at the very moment 
Iranian rockets are raining down on Israel, Iranian-backed militia are 
attacking American facilities in Iraq, and Iranian missiles are being 
trained on Saudi Arabia.
  I cannot understand why the administration is considering any 
sanctions relief to induce Tehran back into the Obama deal in the first 
place. It would be total malpractice to squander our leverage just to 
jump back into a flawed deal. That kind of preemptive capitulation 
would make negotiating a better deal much, much more difficult.
  Iran's own Foreign Minister has lamented that the terror masterminds 
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps basically run the country. So 
what on Earth does our administration think the successors of Soleimani 
would do with another influx of cash?
  If the administration will stay smart, stay tough, and work toward a 
better deal that truly halts Iran's nuclear and missile programs, as 
well as a strategy to confront Iranian terrorism, then the President 
will find support and partnership from the Republican side. But if the 
administration chooses policies that leave America weaker and the world 
more dangerous, Republicans will stand up for the right course.

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