WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama should go outside the United Nations to impose "crippling sanctions" on Iran, a group of senators says.
The bipartisan group said in a letter sent to the White House Wednesday that Obama should follow a campaign pledge to ratchet up sanctions on Iran if, a year after his election, Tehran hadn't shown "serious improvement" in its willingness to negotiate on its uranium enrichment activities, the Washington publication The Hill reported.
"Now that this deadline has passed, we believe that it is imperative to put into action your pledge of increased, meaningful pressure against the Iranian regime -- what Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton called 'crippling sanctions,'" the senators wrote.
The group expressed doubt that harsh sanctions could be obtained through the U.N. Security Council due to China's opposition, and so urges Obama to "pursue parallel and complementary measures," The Hill reported.
Among the letter's signatories were Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Joe Lieberman, Ind-Conn., Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. and Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa.
