On Monday, 49 Republican senators notified Joe Biden that they will not support renewing the disputed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, as it will reduce sanctions and limits on Iran’s nuclear program.
In a letter, the Senators expressed their position. They learned from the press that Biden’s administration is close to reaching an agreement with Iran that would grant considerable sanctions relief in exchange for short-term restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.
The administration seems to have agreed to ease sanctions that were imposed on Iran not for its nuclear activities but rather for its continued support for terrorism and severe human rights violations. The nuclear restrictions in this new agreement look to be substantially less stringent than those in the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was already too weak, and will severely erode US leverage in securing a ‘longer and stronger agreement. Furthermore, the agreement appears to have the potential to strengthen Iran’s financial and security ties with Moscow and Beijing, such as through arms sales, said report.
According to the letter, the Biden administration has declined to submit the newest Iran nuclear deal to the Senate for ratification as a treaty, as required by statute and based on conditions established bipartisan in response to the 2015 deal.
Republicans stated they would be willing to back an Iran strategy that entirely prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons, limits Iran’s ballistic missile program, and challenges Iran’s support for terrorism. However, if the administration agrees to a compromise that fails to meet these goals or makes them more difficult to achieve, Republicans will do everything possible to undo it.
Republicans remain adamant that the administration, their Democratic colleagues, and the international community learn from the mistakes of the recent past.