48 GOP senators sign letter demanding end to Iran nuke talks
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and fellow Republicans criticize President Joe Biden’s policies on Iran’s nuclear weapons, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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UPDATED 9:07 AM PT – Tuesday, March 15, 2022
President Joe Biden has come under immense scrutiny by Republicans in the upper chamber, over his diplomatic efforts with Iran. On Monday, all but one GOP senator sent a letter to Biden urging him to stop trying to ink a deal with the Iranian regime to revive the controversial 2015 nuclear deal.
The opponents of the deal led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) say it would be much weaker than the one former President Donald Trump withdrew from. The senators added, the current proposal would lift several restrictions and sanctions of Iran, which they say would kindle the country’s nuclear ambitions and aggression on regional rivals.
“In Vienna, Biden diplomats have been furiously bending over backwards to surrender to the Ayatollah,” said Cruz. “The same Ayatollah who is a theocratic dispute, regularly chants ‘death to America and death to Israel.’ This administration wants nothing more than to give them hundred of billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Money that would inevitably be used to murder Americans.”
The urgency from the GOP senators come as various international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, warn Iran has enriched uranium to the point that it’s near a nuclear weapon. Additionally, officials have linked Iran to several acts of terror, including a recent airstrike launched near the U.S. consulate in Iraq.
Several senators lament Iran’s disregard for the international rules and threats from America is a sign President Biden is a weak leader. Sen. Cruz further warned Biden’s negotiations will help out other adversaries to the U.S.
“This Iran deal, if and when it is announce, will be a massive win for Vladimir Putin because the Biden administration has been eager to tell Putin and to tell the Ayatollah ‘of course, we will have a carve out for the Iran deal on Russia’s sanctions,’ which means Putin will make billions in oil and gas transactions, in nuclear transactions and in weapons transactions,” explained the Republican lawmaker. “Putin wants to be the leading arms dealers to the Ayatollah.”
Meanwhile, both current Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett and his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu believe a new Iran deal will further destabilize the Middle East. They stressed, their country has been targeted in several attacks from Iran and have warned of further acts of terror on their people as well as on the rest of the world.
Every American family should watch this video. pic.twitter.com/BVo5ZFJwKk
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 13, 2022
In the meantime, Biden is showing no signs of walking away from the negotiating table despite a snag in international talks following Russia’s recent demands.
The sole dissenting Republican, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), warned lawmakers against pushing to end talks when there isn’t a finalized deal on the table yet. Paul asserted, “condemning a deal that is not yet formulated is akin to condemning diplomacy itself, is not a very thoughtful position.”