Washington D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) joined Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and 23 other colleagues in addressing two letters to top officials—Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The letters voiced concerns over the Biden Administration’s recent decision to extend an Iranian sanctions waiver, accusing the administration of a pattern of appeasement that allegedly benefits the Tehran regime.
The first letter criticized the administration’s extension of a waiver providing Iran access to approximately $10 billion in new funds. This decision followed a previous waiver issued in July, contributing to a total of $20 billion in funds made available to Iran. The senators expressed worry over what they perceived as a disproportionate and disjointed response to Iranian aggression, particularly as Israel faced attacks from Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists, and U.S. personnel in the Middle East were targeted by Iranian proxies.
Senator Katie Britt highlighted the Biden Administration’s strategy of appeasement, stating, “Money is fungible, and this Administration has time-after-time provided the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism access to more than $100 billion combined between this latest waiver, refusing to properly enforce sanctions on Iranian oil, and capitulating to a disastrous $6 billion ransom payment in September.”
The senators requested a classified assessment from the relevant departments, seeking information on the administration’s plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. They demanded this assessment be provided in a member or staff-level briefing by December 7, 2023.
In a separate letter, Senator Katie Britt, along with 30 other Senate Republicans, urged President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel. The senators emphasized the importance of proactive and continuous enforcement, citing the negative consequences of ineffective or negligent enforcement.
The letter highlighted the impact of previous sanctions on Iran’s metals industries and steel producers in 2020, which led to a significant decrease in Iranian steel exports in 2021. However, the senators expressed concern that Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022, coinciding with a decrease in sanctions enforcement and the reengagement with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The senators warned against relaxed sanctions enforcement, arguing that it would contribute to the economic enrichment of Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. They called on the administration to enforce all Iran-related sanctions, including secondary sanctions on countries engaging economically with Iran.
Both letters underscored the senators’ conviction that a stronger stance against Iran is crucial for national security and global stability. The senators urged the Biden Administration to reimpose comprehensive sanctions on Iran and its terror proxies, emphasizing the need for peace through unrelenting strength.
