Senator Young & colleagues applaud European sanctions on Iran

Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and nearly all Senate Republicans in sending a letter to Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Johann Wadephul, the German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Yvette Cooper, the British Secretary of State, thanking them for initiating snapback sanctions on Iran and encouraging them to maintain pressure until Iran’s nuclear program is permanently dismantled.

 The lawmakers wrote, “While we back diplomatic efforts to restore Iran’s compliance with its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) commitments, the international community should not allow hollow gestures and threats from Tehran to stop the snapback process. The regime has abused diplomatic processes for years to avoid penalties. Sanctions relief should only be negotiated after the snapback is fully implemented. The regime must fully and verifiably dismantle its nuclear program, restore full IAEA access, terminate its support for international terror proxies, and end its ballistic missile program – at a minimum.”

The lawmakers continued, “In light of the soon-returning international sanctions, we need joint interdiction efforts to prevent Iranian proliferation and acquisition of military, missile, and nuclear goods, technologies, and components. In line with returning UN obligations, we hope you will help us fully shutter Iran’s banking sector abroad, including by closing all branches in Europe.”

 The lawmakers concluded, “More pressure is necessary to ultimately bring Iran back to meaningful and serious diplomatic engagement on the full spectrum of its malign activities.

In addition to Young and Risch, U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Capito (R-W. Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter can be found here.