FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353
September 21, 2021 

Cotton, Sasse Introduce Bill to Block Taliban Access to Chabahar Port

Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) today introduced the No Harbor for Terror Act to revoke the Afghanistan exception to the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, which currently provides Afghanistan with access to the Chabahar Port for exports. Text of the legislation may be found here.

“Iran’s Chabahar Port provides a lifeline for Afghanistan’s trade exports, but the United States shouldn’t continue to waive sanctions for a nation now run by a terrorist organization. Our legislation would revoke Afghanistan’s exception and limit the Taliban and Iranian regime’s ability to use the Port as a harbor for their illicit trade,” said Cotton.

“President Biden’s shameful surrender has put the Taliban back in charge of Afghanistan,” said Sasse. “Why on earth should these bloodthirsty terrorists now enjoy the economic benefits from access to an Iranian controlled port? It’s time to ditch this sanctions waiver.” 

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