Growing concern among both parties over missile tests

The Washington Times – January 11, 2016 – Sen. Chris Coons added his voice Monday to a chorus of Democrats who’ve called on the Obama administration to quit waffling and punish Iran for testing a pair of ballistic missiles in the fall, flouting the landmark nuclear deal it struck with the U.S. and other leading nations.
Mr. Coons, Delaware Democrat who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the agreement clearly allowed for sanctions to continue if Tehran continued its bad behavior.
 
 “It has continued. We should take action,” Mr. Coons said in a conference call with reporters after a trip to the Middle East to take the temperature of other regional powers.
Congressional Republicans and a growing number of Democrats have implored the administration to designate new sanctions, arguing the Islamic Republic will be tempted to cheat if it thinks it can get away with weapons testing or other acts of malfeasance.
The White House prepared the sanctions but hasn’t set a firm timeline for moving forward.
“I don’t know why the administration has hesitated, but I am urging them publicly and privately to move ahead with those designations,” Mr. Coons said.
He said the U.S.’s partners in the region are nervous about Iran’s large influence in the volatile Middle East, both in terms of compliance with the nuclear pact and its sponsorship of militant groups such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah out of Lebanon.
“I think we have to use our influence in the region,” he said. “We have to continue to hold Iran’s feet to the fire.”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, is also losing patience with the White House, saying this month he was “disappointed” with foot-dragging on the part of the administration.
“We will issue those sanctioning and those designations at the appropriate time. There’s no question about it,” White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Fox News Sunday.
The Iran pact had been controversial from the start, with the GOP issuing vocal opposition and some Democrats breaking with the White House over the pact.
The House voted to reject the deal in the fall but Senate Democrats filibustered similar attempts across the Capitol, allowing Mr. Obama to implement the agreement.
Mr. Coons said Monday he backed the deal with a healthy skepticism, calling it the “least bad option” to thwart Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“My support for the deal was married to a public commitment to insist on aggressive, thorough oversight and enforcement, and I’m keeping that commitment,” he said.