Obama announced that he’s installing new sanctions on Iran in response to a pair of ballistic missile tests conducted by Tehran late last year in defiance of United Nation’s resolutions. The move highlight the sharp distinction the administration is making between Iran’s nuclear program and other actions undertaken by Tehran, The Hill reported Jan. 17th.
Democrats, who have criticized the president for a failure to apply new sanctions in the wake of the missile tests, were quick to cheer the announcement.
“Iran’s missile program poses a direct threat to our allies and continues to destabilize the region,” Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.), senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “Iranian leaders should be on notice that the nuclear deal won’t excuse their continued dangerous behavior.”
