Democratic senators to Kerry: respond to Iranian missile test

This post originally appeared at Jewish Insider.

A group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday in which they expressed ‘profound’ concern about the Iranian ballistic missile test last Sunday. 

The group includes Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Nine out of the eleven Democratic senators listed as signatories supported the Iran nuclear deal. 

“We are writing to express our profound concern about Iran’s October 11 ballistic missile test…We urge you to consider unilateral and multilateral responses to this ballistic missile test. We believe calibrated pressure on Iran is appropriate due to its clear non-compliance with UNSCR 1929 and to deter future violations,” the Senators wrote in the letter. 

The Senators stated that the launch so close to the date of the implementation of the nuclear deal “is an attempt to test the world’s will to respond to Iranian violations of its international commitments.”

Read a full text of the letter below: 

Dear Secretary Kerry:

We are writing to express our profound concern about Iran’s October 11 ballistic missile test. 

United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power clearly stated that Iran’s test was a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 which specifically states that “Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.” 

We are concerned about the military significance of this test, which is part of a long-term Iranian program that seeks to improve the range and capabilities of its ballistic missiles. We are also convinced that the launch is an attempt to test the world’s will to respond to Iranian violations of its international commitments.

We strongly believe that the ability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to prevent Iran from fulfilling its nuclear ambitions must be fortified by a zero-tolerance policy to respond to violations of the agreement and of applicable UN resolutions – and a unified plan of action between the United States and our European allies about what specific responses should be deployed to respond to incremental violations. 

There must be no ambiguity in our willingness to enforce Iran’s obligations under UN resolutions and the JCPOA.

We urge you to consider unilateral and multilateral responses to this ballistic missile test. We believe calibrated pressure on Iran is appropriate due to its clear non-compliance with UNSCR 1929 and to deter future violations.