U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), released the following statement today on the U.S.-Iran negotiations to curb Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for a gradual relaxation of economic sanctions. The Obama Administrations entered a six-month agreement on Jan. 20 to ease some sanctions in order to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear supply and enrichment program. 

“We have been negotiating with Iran for six months now without much to show for it.  As I’ve said before, I don’t trust Iran, I don’t trust Rouhani, and I’ve seen nothing in these negotiations to change my mind.  It is not clear to me that the Iranians are serious about limiting their nuclear program and the limited sanctions relief President Obama has granted have been a disincentive for them to compromise and fully and verifiably abandon their ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.  I believe the Iranians are using the negotiations as a stalling tactic to buy time to continue their efforts to develop a nuclear weapon and a means to deliver it.  The sanctions were working and I believe we should immediately reinstate the full sanctions regime that existed before the interim agreement and consider additional sanctions as well.”