Sens. Paul, Flake ‘Won’t Rule Out’ Backing Iran Sanctions

Senators May Be Key to 'Veto-Proof' Vote

59 Senators are now down as “yes” votes for the Iran sanctions bill, which would effectively end diplomacy with the nation and which President Obama has warned is an effective push for war with Iran.

That’s enough to ensure the vote passing, but with President Obama vowing a veto, it is the “undecided” members of the Senate that are really important now, as they represent the potential veto override votes.

Two Republican Senators, Rand Paul (R – KY) and Jeff Flake (R – AZ), are the sole undecided members of their party, but both have recently suggested that they are open to the idea of voting for the sanctions, and Sen. Flake in particular suggested that the ongoing disputes over the interim agreement might be enough to secure his support for the sanctions.

Sen. Paul’s office also suggested he was more or less in favor of the sanctions, though he wouldn’t commit to a yes vote depending on the timing of the vote.

With neither yet a committed “yes,” there is still time to persuade Sens. Flake and Paul to support diplomacy instead of the path toward war with Iran. You can contact Sen. Paul’s office at 202-224-4343 and Sen. Flake’s office at 202-224-4521.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.