Don’t Make COVID-19 an Excuse for Iran’s Bad Behavior
In recent weeks, former Obama Administration officials have been busy echoing Iranian calls for sanctions relief. They should be forcefully rejected by all those concerned with anything but enriching powerful regime leaders, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s terror proxies. Sanctions relief will not help the Iranian people. The architects and champions of the failed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action know this, and their thinly veiled justification, COVID-19, is just their latest talking point in the effort to restore a policy of appeasement.
Among the chorus are Ambassador Wendy Sherman and former Secretary of State Chuck Hagel. Just as they ignored Iran’s malign behavior during negotiations over their nuclear deal, they ignore evidence today that the COVID-19 pandemic has had no effect on Iran’s belligerence, domestically or internationally.
They also ignore carve outs in the existing sanctions expressly permitting the sale or transfer of food, medicine and other humanitarian items. That’s right — nothing in the sanctions is preventing Iranians from getting what they need. Their regime is their only impediment in that regard.
Read More: Washington Examiner