Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) are leading a bipartisan effort in the Senate to urge the United Nations (UN) to maintain an arms embargo and travel restrictions on Iran that are set to begin expiring in October.

The embargo and restrictions Senators Toomey and Rosen want extended were first enacted in 2015 as part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. They include an arms embargo, a travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities associated with Iran's nuclear, missile, and conventional arms programs, and a prohibition on supporting Iran's ballistic missile program.

"Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Just in the last year, Iran shot down a U.S. drone, temporarily knocked out half of Saudi Arabia's oil production in a drone and missile attack, advanced its ballistic missile program, and stockpiled more enriched uranium." said Senator Toomey. "Clearly the Iranian regime plans on continuing to destabilize the region and provoke America and its allies. It would be a grave mistake to allow sanctions against Iran to expire. This bipartisan resolution calls on the United Nations to extend these sanctions and would reaffirm the international community's opposition to Iranian aggression."

"In the face of increasing threats in the region from Iran and its proxies, the U.S. must remain strong in our resolve," said Senator Rosen. "The United Nations arms embargo has limited the flow of sophisticated weapons to Iran and restricted Iran's ability to provide its proxies with arms. If the embargo expires, Iran will be free under international law to purchase and transfer an array of weapons, posing a threat to the security of the United States and our allies, including Israel. We must prevent this outcome, which is why this resolution calls on the United Nations to extend these sensible restrictions."

The full text of the resolution is below and available online here.

Title: Calling upon the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution on Iran that extends the dates by which Annex B restrictions under Resolution 2231 are currently set to expire.
Whereas, on July 20, 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2231;
Whereas Annex B of Resolution 2231 imposed a number of restrictions on Iran and on arms technology suppliers to Iran that will soon begin expiring;
Whereas the Government of Iran has never accepted the Annex B restrictions as legitimate and has not agreed to abide by them;
Whereas Annex B of Resolution 2231 imposed an arms embargo on Iran that requires Security Council approval for, among other things, the sale or transfer to Iran of battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles, and missile systems including man-portable air-defense systems;
Whereas the arms embargo has limited the flow of advanced conventional weapons to Iran;
Whereas some United Nations member states are already preparing to provide Iran with advanced weapons systems upon expiration of the arms embargo;
Whereas Russian state news services have reported that the Russian Federation and Iran are negotiating an arms sale that will provide Iran with artillery systems, helicopters, combat aircraft, and tanks;
Whereas the arms embargo in Annex B of Resolution 2231 will expire on October 18, 2020;
Whereas Annex B of Resolution 2231 prohibits Iran from exporting weapons and military equipment, including to foreign countries, its proxy militias throughout the region, and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Katai'b Hezbollah;
Whereas Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, which is estimated to possess at least 100,000 rockets and missiles, has stated that the terrorist group receives all of its weapons and missiles from Iran;
Whereas the arms export ban on Iran in Annex B of Resolution 2231 will expire on October 18, 2020;
Whereas Annex B of Resolution 2231 banned travel and froze financial assets for Iranian individuals and entities designated on a list established and maintained pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 (2006) for their involvement in certain illicit behavior;
Whereas these travel bans and asset freezes will expire in October 2020 and October 2023, respectively;
Whereas Annex B of Resolution 2231 banned United Nation member states from supplying Iran's nuclear-capable ballistic missile program; and
Whereas this restriction in Annex B of Resolution 2231 will expire in October 2023: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate-
(1) asserts that the expiration of the aforementioned restrictions on Iran and on arms technology suppliers to Iran in Annex B of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) will enhance the ability of Iran to continue its destabilizing actions in the Middle East that threaten the security of the United States and that of our allies;
(2) urges the international community to fully enforce the aforementioned restrictions on Iran and on arms technology suppliers to Iran in Annex B of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231; and
(3) calls upon the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution on Iran that extends the dates by which the aforementioned restrictions on Iran and on arms technology suppliers to Iran in Annex B are currently set to expire.