Staff Reports
Republicans in Congress are asking President Biden for answers about a possible hidden deal with Iran that seems to go against the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. In the letter, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) express their "significant concern" about recent reports of Iran's activities and the Biden administration's talks with the regime.
Thanks, Joe: Here's What Biden's Illegal Deal With Iran Means for the U.S. https://t.co/eF8gOdzl7R
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 22, 2023
The letter explains how Iran has been watering down enriched uranium and making it take longer to make new nuclear materials. These things are happening at the same time that Iran is said to be making a deal to free American hostages in return for access to billions of dollars worth of frozen Iranian assets. The lawmakers say that this seems to be a violation of the Iran Nuclear deal Review Act, which says that any deal about Iran's nuclear programme must be sent to Congress for review.
Not only are the politicians worried about a possible violation of federal law, but they are also worried about the effects of any deal or agreement that doesn't completely stop Iran from enriching its nuclear fuel. They talk about how Iran has taken hostages in the past and used this as a way to negotiate and get money. If the U.S. gave Iran money in return for American hostages, it could encourage Iran and other U.S. enemies to take more hostages in the future. They say that the Obama administration's last deal with Iran, in which U.S. inmates were freed in exchange for cash, set a dangerous example.
Another worry is that the money given to Iran could be used to support bad things like its military programme, funding for terrorist proxies, nuclear activities, and repression. People don't trust Iran's promises that the money will only be used for humanitarian goods because money can be used for different things, and there are fears that Iran might lie about how the money is used. The politicians are also worried about U.S. citizens who are in jail in Iran and whose release is not part of this supposed deal.
The lawmakers say that Iran already has enough fissile material to make two nuclear bombs, and if they wanted to, they could put one together in a few months. Even if Iran slows down the rate at which it builds up enriched uranium, this threat doesn't change much, especially since Iran is still putting in advanced centrifuges. They stress how serious the situation is because Iran won't work with the International Atomic Energy Agency and keeps supporting attacks on U.S. troops, threats to U.S. citizens, funding terrorist proxies, and human rights abuses.
The letter ends by saying that the American people need to know why the Biden administration is rewarding an Iranian government that attacks Americans and threatens national security. The lawmakers say they will use all the tools they have to make sure there is transparency and responsibility and to go back to a policy of maximum pressure that stops Iran from making nuclear progress and stops it from doing bad things.
