House GOP Thwarts Motion to Block U.S. Business with Iran-Tied Company

Reposted by arrangement with Think Progress

House Republicans, led by pro-Israel Iran hawks Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA), couldn’t muster any support — zero votes — for a measure proposed by Democrats that would block a U.S. mining company from doing business with Rio Tinto, a London-based mining giant that is partnered with the Iranian government in an African uranium mine. The measure failed, leading Democrats to complain about Republicans’ hypocrisy on Iran sanctions — a top goal for a party trying to seize sole control of the pro-Israel mantle. One Hill Staffer told Washington Jewish Week’s Adam Kredo that the GOP was “put(ting) business interests over Israel’s interests.” Separately, a U.S. court case against Rio Tinto for serious human rights violations was recently revived.

Ali Gharib

Ali Gharib is a New York-based journalist on U.S. foreign policy with a focus on the Middle East and Central Asia. His work has appeared at Inter Press Service, where he was the Deputy Washington Bureau Chief; the Buffalo Beast; Huffington Post; Mondoweiss; Right Web; and Alternet. He holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. A proud Iranian-American and fluent Farsi speaker, Ali was born in California and raised in D.C.

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