AIPAC Urges New Sanctions Against Iran

Other Israeli Lobby Groups Agree to Give Deal Time

Most Israeli lobbying groups have criticized the P5+1 deal with Iran, but indicate that they will give the deal some time before they start pushing for new sanctions to sabotage it. Then there’s AIPAC.

No waiting was needed for the biggest lobby, which issued a policy memo demanding immediate additional sanctions on Iran from Congress, saying they need to make it clear Iran will face even more consequences if they back out of the deal.

Iran has already made it clear that the deal, which includes some sanction relief, would be null and void in Congress imposes new sanctions. Congress isn’t expected to try to do so until after the Thanksgiving recess, and even then President Obama will likely veto any such sanctions.

Israel’s government is said to have more or less given up on sabotaging the interim deal, and is instead focusing on the final deal yet to be negotiated. AIPAC doesn’t seem to have given up yet, however, though it remains to be seen if their considerable influence will be enough to kill a deal which polls show is broadly supported by Americans.

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.