Tester Secures Assurance that Sanctions Will Snap Back if Iran Violates Nuclear Deal

In a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Senator Jon Tester secured assurances from top Administration officials that economic sanctions would snap back on Iran should they purposefully violate the nuclear agreement that was signed by six nations and Iran last July.

Since the nuclear agreement between the United States, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany and Iran was signed, Iran has eliminated 97 percent of its uranium stockpile, destroyed the core of its Arak nuclear reactor, blocked the production of weapons-grade plutonium, and ripped out over 13,000 centrifuges.

“Is it your intention to snap those previous sanctions back on if Iran violates this agreement?” Tester asked Lead Coordinator for Iran Nuclear Implementation Stephen Mull.

“If Iran took steps to violate the core requirements that affected its ability to rapidly build a nuclear weapon, I can assure you that we would move very swiftly to re-impose the appropriate degree of sanctions that had existed before,” said Mull.

Tester also pressed the Administration to explain whether or not Iran has access to U.S. financial markets.

“We have not promised, nor do we have any plans, to give Iran access to the U.S. financial system,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes Adam Szubin.

After reading the agreement, posting it online for the public to read, taking public comment, asking tough questions, and meeting with experts, Tester joined Montanans, military and religious leaders in supporting the Iran nuclear agreement last August.