Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted new exemptions reportedly granted by the administration to recent sanctions against Iran.
"These reports are deeply troubling,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “I hope they are mistaken.
“Any policy that includes significant exemptions and waivers is less than maximum pressure, and leaves the Ayatollahs with access to additional resources that they will use to undermine the security of America and our allies, to build up their nuclear and ballistic missile programs, to support Middle East terrorist groups including Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas, to arm Shia militias in Iraq that are undermining the sovereignty of the Iraqi government, to provide military support for the Houthi militia preventing a peaceful political settlement in Yemen, to supply forces in Syria including those under Iranian command, to support the Taliban and other terrorists in Afghanistan, to maintain the IRGC and IRGC Qods Force, to launch cyberattacks, and to threaten international shipping.
“I very much hope these reports are premature, and that State Department defenders of the Obama Iran nuclear deal have not succeeded in weakening the president's decision to withdraw from that disastrous deal."
The administration granted exemptions on Wednesday to new sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Foreign governments and businesses that have dealings with the Revolutionary Guard and its affiliates will not be subject to a ban on U.S. travel under waivers outlined in two notices published in the Federal Register.
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