Sen. Cruz Calls for Urgent Action to Stop U.N. Process Lifting Arms Embargo and Ballistic Missile Ban on Iran

As member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Yesterday I participated in a committee hearing focused on assessing the United States' foreign policy and posture towards Iran. There, I questioned State Department Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, regarding U.S. authority to reverse the catastrophic Obama-Iran nuclear deal, which will lift the arms embargo and ballistic missile ban that had been previously imposed by the United Nations:

"Now, Mr. Hook you talked about major provisions of the Iran deal expiring, major provisions such as the arms embargo and ballistic missile test ban expiring. And I agree, that is highly troubling. There is an obvious remedy to that, which is, under the terms of U.N. Resolution 2231, you have the snapback sanctions. We now have a situation where Iran's conduct has gotten even worse-even our European allies acknowledge that Iran committed a serious act of war in bombing Saudi Arabia and taking out about half of their oil production capabilities. That act of war merits a real response. [...] Does State believe the United States is able to trigger the snapback mechanism? And number two, should we trigger the snapback mechanism?"

I noted that "we have full authority to invoke" the snapback mechanism in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231, which would reverse the deal and stop the clock on the expiration of the arms embargo and ballistic missile ban. Special Representative Hook confirmed that understanding as "very plausible" and committed to investigating that policy.

I also applauded President Trump's decision to withdraw from the deal, I added:

"Pulling out of the disastrous Obama-Iran nuclear deal is the single most important national security decision the Trump administration has made and the maximum is exactly the right approach."

Watch my full line of questioning at yesterday's hearing here.

In July, I sent a letter to the Trump administration on the need for invoking the snapback mechanism. Read the letter here.