US Senators: Iranian regime must end nuclear program or face more harsh sanctions

                   

The Iranian regime must 'dismantle' its nuclear program or face a raft of tougher sanctions from the West, two US senators have declared in a statement.

The Iranian regime must also agree to a 'robust' inspection regime as part of the outcome of nuclear negotiations with the international community, New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez and Illinois Republican Mark Kirk insisted.

They wrote: "We believe that a good deal will dismantle, not just stall, Iran's illicit nuclear program and prevent Iran from ever becoming a threshold nuclear weapons state.

"If a potential deal does not achieve these goals, we will work with our colleagues in Congress to act decisively, as we have in the past."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Mr Menendez and Senator Kirk have worked since 2011 to draft and pass multifaceted economic sanctions against the Iranian regime.

Their statement added: "Gradual sanctions relaxation would only occur if Iran strictly complied with all parts of the agreement."

Their most recent bill which aims to impose harsh new measures should the nuclear negotiations fail has been blocked since the end of 2013 by President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in the Senate.

But Republicans, who won a Senate majority from Democrats in last week's midterm elections, could now get their way when the next congressional session convenes on January 3.

Senate Republican Lindsey Graham said this week: "I want a vote on sanctions in case the deal falls apart."

Now facing the prospect of unilateral action by the US Congress, the clerical regime’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said that 'each country must resolve its own problems' although he did not name the United States.