New York, NY, November 21, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed the announcement by the Obama Administration of new U.S. sanctions against the Iranian banking, petrochemical and energy sectors in response to Iran’s ongoing defiance of the international community over its nuclear program.

The new sanctions announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, “mark a welcome and important new stage in the campaign against Iran’s development of a nuclear weapons capability,” the League said in a letter to the two leaders issued today.

“Of singular importance is citing Iran’s Central Bank and the entire Iranian banking system for money-laundering.  That action conveys a resounding message to Iran that their financial system for conducting oil transactions is now a sanctions target,” said Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  “Sanctions must be tough enough to dissuade Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons.  The U.S. announcement opens the way to implementing sanctions against the lifeblood of the regime: oil revenue.  Significantly impacting Iran’s oil revenue has the best chance of compelling the regime to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.”

The League also expressed appreciation for the international coordination of this new stage of sanctions, with the British and Canadian governments announcing full sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank and France’s call for similar European Union-wide sanctions and a ban on all purchases of Iranian oil.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.