WASHINGTON (15 December) – U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, today issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 2194, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which targets Iran’s dependency on foreign gasoline and other refined petroleum products in an effort to combat the Iranian regime’s illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons:

“The threat represented by a nuclear armed Iran is real and growing. In recent months Iran has shown that it refuses to suspend uranium enrichment and is actively working to develop nuclear weapons in defiance of the international community. Just today there are reports which suggest Iran is in the final stages of priming a key component used to arm a nuclear warhead.

“Given Tehran’s long record of deception and stalling, it is time to impose tough, targeted sanctions on the Iranian regime and send a strong signal that our nation will not stand for escalation of their nuclear arms program.”

NOTE: Bilirakis is a co-sponsor of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which passed the House by a vote of 412 to 12.