B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International commends the U.S. Congress for passing the Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Human Rights Act, which signals a continuing commitment to stopping Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

B’nai B’rith supports these tough new sanctions that target energy, shipping and insurance as a positive step in pressuring Tehran to cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The bipartisan measure is a clear indicator of the depth of the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran.

The new sanctions are intended to hamper Iran’s nuclear weapons program by crippling the country’s vital petroleum and natural gas sectors.

This congressional action follows a February White House executive order that expanded sanctions against Iran, requiring U.S. financial institutions to seize Iranian assets already invested in the United States. The measure is intended to impact Iran’s lucrative oil industry.

Each new round of sanctions eliminates loopholes that Iran exploited to continue to do business on global markets.

It is imperative that Iran, the largest state-sponsor of global terrorism, cease its nuclear weapons program. This bipartisan measure once again presents a united front in the effort to isolate Tehran.

B’nai B’rith urges the president to sign the measure into law.