NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), released a statement today, on the eve of President Barack Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia for the April 21 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit. The following statement is attributable to UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, UANI Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, and UANI Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member Ambassador Dennis Ross:
The Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, continues its campaign of instability, chaos, and aggression throughout the Middle East, causing great concern for the United States and our allies in the Gulf region. Ballistic missile testing and other shows of force make it clear to the global community that the Ayatollah and his regime have no intention of abiding by the JCPOA in anything other than name, confirming the fears of many global leaders.
The historic U.S.–GCC partnership, a robust alliance of seven states representing a combined GDP of nearly $20 trillion, possesses a strong economic advantage when compared with Iran’s GDP of less than $400 billion. These partners have the economic strength to counter the Iranian regime’s hegemonic ambitions, and the GCC Summit provides a strategic opportunity to put that leverage to use.
UANI is calling on the United States and GCC leaders to commit to the following policy prescriptions to thwart Iran’s increasingly provocative behavior:
Iran Business Risks: The U.S. and GCC must actively engage their partners and friends in Europe and Asia to remind and advise them that Iran’s continued bad behavior results in a business environment that is much too risky for responsible firms to enter.
Curb Iran Business Activity: Because of Iran’s continuing irresponsible actions, the U.S. and GCC should discourage investment in Iran’s economy and also discourage businesses in key sectors that operate in the U.S. and/or GCC from doing business in Iran.
Strengthen and Maintain Financial Restrictions: The U.S. and GCC should strengthen and maintain existing restrictions on Iran’s access to the global financial system because of continued money laundering, support for terrorism, and regional destabilization activities.
Ensure Stability and Prevent Iranian Hegemony in The Region: The U.S. and GCC should agree to strong security assurances — including in cyberspace — and project a unified front in response to Iranian aggression.
Enforce Existing Sanctions and Adopt New Robust Sanctions on the IRGC: Tough sanctions must be enforced and further sanctions adopted against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), key personnel, and its widespread network of front companies.
Counter Hezbollah: Building on U.S. sanctions and the GCC’s recent actions, the U.S. and GCC should commit to strengthen and coordinate efforts to counter Iran’s primary terrorist proxy Hezbollah.
Earlier this week, UANI outlined these policy positions in a press briefing, where Senator Lieberman, Ambassador Wallace, and Ambassador Ross described them as win-wins for both the United States and the GCC. As Ambassador Ross said on the call, “if [the United States] were to be seen more clearly to be acting to contain what the Iranians are doing in the region… we then suddenly are put in a position where we have, I think, more leverage with the GCC states to get them to do more of what we both want, not only towards Iran… but also vis-à-vis ISIS.”
A full transcript of the call is available online here.
About UANI
UANI is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan, advocacy group founded in 2008 by Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, and Middle East Expert Ambassador Dennis Ross, that seeks to heighten awareness of the danger the Iranian regime poses to the world.
