Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) told Jewish Insider following a visit to Israel and Jordan last week that there is a “unique, potentially generational opportunity” to change the Middle East if the U.S. can help put an end to Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its support for regional terrorism.

Landsman also told JI he’s working on legislation to create a bipartisan select committee focused on Middle East peace, an initiative he said would help elevate the issue and find bipartisan solutions.

As the Trump administration proceeds in talks with Iran, Landsman said U.S. lawmakers should insist on four key components in any potential nuclear deal: stringent monitoring and verification; an Iranian commitment to an exclusively civilian nuclear program; an end to all Iranian domestic enrichment and the removal of all enriched uranium from the country; and an end to Iran’s support for regional terrorism.

He said that eliminating Iran’s support for regional terrorism would radically change the lives of the Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, Yemeni, Iraqi and Israeli people — ”let these people go, leave them alone,” Landsman said.

“Everyone wins. Literally — everyone wins,” Landsman added. “That’s the key, and probably one of the most important things to Middle East peace. If [Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff and the administration have those in play, and they’re willing to pull the right coalition together to get that done, that would be a game changer.”

He added that “anything short of that leaves the Middle East insecure and constantly in this cycle of violence. The suffering has to end.”

Landsman called on American, Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian and Saudi leaders to make clear that any deal must include all four of those elements. He said he heard a consistent message to that effect from Israeli and Jordanian leaders he spoke with during his trip. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who also visited the Middle East during the recent congressional recess, delivered a similar readout.

“If [a deal is] short of any of those things, that’s a big problem,” Landsman continued, adding that the only way to compel Iran to agree to such a formulation is if it knows that the alternative is an Israeli or joint Israeli, American and allied strike on its nuclear program.

“There has to be that sense of urgency for them,” Landsman said.

The lawmaker continued that the administration’s varying comments about the nature and goal of its talks with Iran have created “uncertainty,” which is “the last thing the Middle East needs.”

“You need strong, determined, focused leadership with clear intent,” Landsman said.

The Ohio congressman added that those pushing for peace and an end to the war in Gaza should be focusing their attention on ending Iran’s malign influence and on calling on Hamas to release all of the hostages and relinquish its hold on power in Gaza.

He said that forcing Hamas out of power will require help from the international community.

“When you go over there, [you hear] that these Arab leaders are done with Hamas — they’re absolutely done,” Landsman said. “The more Hamas understands that everyone’s done with them, I think the sooner they will accept that it’s time to release the hostages and hand over Gaza to the Palestinians.”

He added that pressure is mounting on all parties involved to reach a deal to free the hostages and restore humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Coming off of the trip, Landsman announced that he’s working on legislation to create a congressional select committee — with bipartisan representation from both chambers of Congress — on Middle East peace. He said he’s working to receive support from congressional leadership.

“Congress has to be more engaged in building stronger relationships in Israel, especially within the Knesset, as well as with Palestinian leaders and leaders from partnering Arab nations,” Landsman said.

He argued that past select committees and commissions have helped bring lawmakers together with experts to implement important bipartisan legislation that has made real progress.

He said that greater “attention and dedication” from Congress will make it more likely that the hostages will be freed, the war in Gaza will end, humanitarian aid will resume and will be protected from Hamas diversion and that a coalition of U.S. partners will step up to remove Hamas from Gaza and invest in rebuilding.

“It’s just too big of a priority not to have this kind of dedicated long-term commitment from Congress,” Landsman said.

Landsman said another key takeaway from the trip was that Jordan is a “critical intelligence and security partner” for the United States and that cutting U.S. aid to Jordan “will do enormous damage to Jordan, and our allies, and to Israel and to us.”

The congressional delegation, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), was in Israel during Holocaust Remembrance Day, and spent the day with hostage families and participating in a Knesset Holocaust remembrance ceremony.

Landsman said the ceremony strengthened “my commitment to Middle East peace and a Jewish state … You just realize how critically important it is to have a safe place for Jews, to have a Jewish state that is secure and that security is linked to the success and security of the neighborhood and getting to a place of peace and more and more countries normalizing relations with Israel, which is on the horizon.”