WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) joined U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and 23 others, in introducing the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act. This bipartisan legislation proposes prospective sanctions on Iran should the regime violate the interim Joint Plan of Action agreed to in Geneva or should Iran fail to reach a final agreement.

“While the United States and other allied nations have agreed to an interim deal with Iran to curtail nuclear processing, this is not the best path forward to keeping our nation safe,” Roberts said. “The President was able to act without Congressional approval, but now it is up to Congress to ensure that when the interim period is up, if Iran has failed to meet its obligations, the United States will act swiftly and appropriately to apply new sanctions. I am proud to be a part of this legislation and will continue working to keep Americans and our allies in the region safe from a nuclear Iran.”

The legislation was co-sponsored by twenty-six senators, including: Senators Kirk, Menendez, Schumer, Graham, Cardin, McCain, Casey, Rubio, Coons, Cornyn, Blumenthal, Ayotte, Begich, Corker, Pryor, Collins, Landrieu, Moran, Gillibrand, Roberts, Warner, Johanns, Hagan, Cruz, Donnelly, and Blunt.   

The prospective sanctions legislation requires further reductions in purchases of Iranian petroleum and applies additional penalties to strategic elements of the Iranian economy, to include the engineering, mining and construction sectors.

Simultaneously, it gives the Administration continued flexibility and up to one year from the conclusion of an implementing agreement to pursue a diplomatic track resulting in the complete and verifiable termination of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program.

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