AJC Transatlantic Institute Welcomes European Parliament Position on Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program and State-Sponsors of Terrorism

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AJC Transatlantic Institute Welcomes European Parliament Position on Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program and State-Sponsors of Terrorism

Strasbourg – 13 December 2017 – The AJC Transatlantic Institute applauds the European Parliament’s annual EU foreign policy review, in which it called on Iran to end its ballistic missile program and condemned state-sponsors of terrorism. Neither the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement nor Parliament’s 2016 policy review covered these issues.

“Though we would have preferred an even stronger condemnation, identifying Iran’s ballistic missile program as a “security risk” marks a significant step by the European Parliament. Perhaps it was the regime’s warning last week to target Europe with its missiles that has restored on the continent a much-needed sense of urgency about the real threat Iran poses to our collective security,” said Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s EU office, the AJC Transatlantic Institute. “Lawmakers are also right to call for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. However, the Iranian regime has shown time and again that only tough sanctions, backed up by a unified transatlantic front, will bring it to the negotiating table,” Schwammenthal added.

In carefully crafted language, Parliament seems to reference the U.S. State Department’s list of “state sponsors” of terrorism, which crucially includes both Iran and Syria. The report calls on the EU to "counter and condemn state sponsors of radicalisation and terrorism, particularly where such support is given to entities listed by the EU as terror organisations." 

“Without explicitly mentioning Iran or Hezbollah by name, the European Parliament has nevertheless clearly set its sights on the Iranian regime and its sponsorship of the Shi’te terror group based in Lebanon and ought to be commended for that. We hope EU foreign ministers pay attention to this report and will, as a next step, do away with the artificial distinction between Hezbollah’s so-called “military” and “political” wings by designating Hezbollah in its entirety a terrorist organization,” Schwammenthal concluded.