White House Spokesperson: The Government Supports Sanctions Against Iran, Russia, and North Korea

Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, stated that the government sees the possibility of changes to the sanctions plan against Iran, Russia, and North Korea. She added that the President and the administration 'strongly' support sanctions against these three countries. On August 4, during a press briefing, Ms. Sanders responded to a question regarding the President's 24-hour opportunity to review the sanctions law and whether he would sign it. The spokesperson said, 'This matter is a bit more complicated. Senator [Bob] Corker (Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) has stated that he does not fully agree with the current state of the plan. We think there is a possibility that more changes will be made to it. Therefore, before we make a final decision, we are waiting to see how the plan will develop.' She then added, 'But I can tell you that the White House, the President, and the entire administration, as we have emphasized many times, strongly support sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea.' On August 3, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that includes new sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Republican Senator Bob Corker stated in an interview with the Washington Post on June 25 that the plan would soon be approved in the Senate. The initial plan, introduced on June 15, was called the 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act' and targeted Tehran for issues such as ballistic missile development, allegations of supporting terrorism and militia groups, and human rights violations. The newly approved plan by the House, which has bipartisan support, also includes sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea, support for Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war, 'human rights violations,' and allegations of 'interference' in U.S. elections. The plan also intensifies sanctions against North Korea due to its ongoing missile and nuclear tests. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded to the sanctions plan, stating that the Islamic Republic would 'certainly' take 'reciprocal action' against the sanctions. The Kremlin stated that the sanctions plan is an unfriendly act that would have a 'harmful' impact on bilateral relations. Meanwhile, the European Union expressed concern over the new plan and announced that it would respond to the House's decision in the 'coming days.' These sanctions could disrupt the export of oil and gas from Russia to the European Union.