Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement regarding reports that the Obama Administration may lift sanctions that block Iranian access to the U.S. financial system:

"Since signing the nuclear deal one year ago, Iran has continued its provocations of the United States and enhanced its push for regional hegemony. It has tested ballistic missiles, captured U.S. sailors, and fueled conflicts in Syria and Yemen -- all while employing ‘Death to America' as a rallying cry. But in the face of Iran's continued aggression, the Obama administration has displayed only weakness. So intense is his fear that the ayatollahs will rip up the Iran agreement that President Obama has completely disfigured U.S. strategy in the Middle East to the point where adversaries are allies and allies are adversaries. And if reports that he will grant Iran access to the U.S. banking system are true, he would not only be declaring Iran truly ‘open for business,' but would also render the United States complicit in the ayatollahs' financing of terrorism and regional instability. One year of an emboldened Iran is enough. The United States should maintain Iran's isolation from the U.S. banking sector, immediately take action to restore other sanctions related to terrorism and human rights violations, and clamp down on Iran's illicit weapons shipments."