Majority of House members call for increased measures to stop Iranian nuclear weapons
‘The United States must increase its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability,’ the letter reads
ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
A picture taken on November 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility.
More than half of the House — 249 lawmakers, including 110 Democrats and 139 Republicans — joined a letter urging President Joe Biden to take additional steps to prevent Iran’s nuclear program and prepare to seek the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran.
While the letter, sent on Friday and obtained by Jewish Insider, makes no mention of negotiations or potential settlements with Iran, it represents the largest unified call for stronger steps against Iran’s nuclear program among House Democrats since Biden took office.
“The United States must increase its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability and to communicate to Iran, without any ambiguity, that any further progress in its nuclear program will result in severe consequences,” the letter reads. “Iran cannot be allowed to advance its nuclear program with impunity.”
The House letter, which was promoted by AIPAC during a recent lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill and predated recent revelations about renewed talks, comes on the heels of a similar Senate letter, which more directly casts doubt on negotiations with the regime.
This latest letter, led by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), indicates an expanded appetite among a broad range of House Democrats for a more aggressive approach to Iran’s nuclear program.
Signatories include Democrats who were supportive of the 2015 JCPOA, such as Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and No. 3 House Democrat Pete Aguilar (D-CA).
Like the Senate letter, the House letter urges the administration to work with European partners to prepare to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran if the regime enriches uranium to 90% purity.
“We believe that this coordination with our allies would send a powerful message of our unified commitment to deterring Iran’s nuclear program,” the letter argues. “We also believe it would convey the message to Iran that they will not be able to reap the benefits of international sanctions relief if they decide to operate outside of their nuclear commitments.”
The lawmakers also highlighted Iran’s growing cooperation with Russia and China, which they wrote “bolsters the Iranian regime’s confidence and may make them more likely to challenge U.S. allies and interests.”