UANI Statement on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Visit to Iran

For Immediate Release May 20, 2016 Contact: press@uani.com UANI Statement on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Visit to Iran New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) released the following statement today regarding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to Iran on May 22-23. The statement is attributable to UANI Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: As Prime Minister Modi travels to Tehran, he should be mindful of the previous strong statements he has made about fighting terrorism and corruption. Prime Minister Modi's quote, "terrorism is a challenge for humankind, not just any nation or region. Those who believe in humanity should tackle terrorism together" - is particularly relevant to Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Ayatollah and his regime continue to openly support Hezbollah and Hamas, and even recently welcomed a delegation from the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad. The Prime Minister has also likened corruption to a termite, as "it spreads slowly, reaches everywhere but it can be beaten with timely injections." However, he is flying to Iran, a country that, according to Transparency International, ranks 130 out of 168 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index. The Islamic Republic's irresponsible and belligerent behavior stands in direct contrast to Prime Minister Modi's powerful and timely determination to tackle terrorism and corruption. For these reasons, India's formidable economic and diplomatic power should not be used to further embolden and enable Tehran. The risks of doing business with the Iranian regime are simply too great and too numerous for Indian companies and the larger global business community. World leaders cannot declare they are fighting terrorism and corruption around the world, while at the same time doing business with Tehran. Prime Minister Modi has a special opportunity to focus his efforts on pressuring Iran to halt its destabilizing and provocative behavior, rather than prematurely rewarding the regime with lucrative business opportunities. As part of its efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of the Iranian regime, UANI has identified a matrix of 10 key risk categories businesses and sovereign states face in any pursuit of deals with Iran. For more information on the business risk matrix, or to speak with Senator Lieberman or Ambassador Wallace, please contact: press@uani.com. ### About UANI UANI is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan, advocacy group founded in 2008 by Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, and Middle East Expert Ambassador Dennis Ross, that seeks to heighten awareness of the danger the Iranian regime poses to the world.  United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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