Sen. Moran Joins Colleagues in Calling for Dismantlement of Iran’s Nuclear Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and 50 of their Republican colleagues in supporting President Trump's ongoing negotiations with Iran to secure a deal that results in the full dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, including permanently ending the regime's capacity to enrich uranium.

"We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment," wrote the Senators.

"We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did," the senators continued. "The Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated. As always we stand ready to provide you and your administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests."

Sens. Moran and Ricketts joined Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) in signing the letter.

Read the full letter below or here.

Dear Mr. Trump:

We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program, and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment.

During your first term you withdrew the United States from the deeply broken Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and imposed maximum pressure on the regime. As you said then, a fatal flaw of the deal was that it 'allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and, over time, reach the brink of a nuclear breakout.' The JCPOA allowed Iran to sell oil, provided waivers allowing third countries to help Iran build out its nuclear program, and included the termination of United Nations sanctions on the regime. Despite critics claiming your withdrawal from the deal would allow Iran to advance its nuclear ambitions, the Iranian regime remained deterred from making substantial nuclear progress throughout your term because of your maximum pressure campaign.

Tragically, the Biden administration systematically undid that pressure, functionally re-implementing the nuclear deal. They immediately rescinded your decision to reimpose U.N. sanctions, allowed Iran to sell oil at JCPOA-levels, and even re-issued waivers allowing Iran to build out its nuclear program. As you predicted, those policies indeed allowed Iran to reach the brink of nuclear breakout, which is where they are today. The Biden administration made those concessions without any reciprocal concessions from Iran, and Iran even ceased providing international inspectors access to significant parts of its nuclear program in the early days of the Biden administration.

The scope and breadth of Iran's nuclear buildout have made it impossible to verify any new deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium. In its most recent report, published on February 26, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that because of Iran's activities over the last four years, 'the Agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and current inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and UOC, which it will not be possible to restore.'

You and your administration have therefore correctly drawn a redline against any deal that allows Iran to retain any enrichment capability. Your National Security Presidential Memorandum on Iran stated that "Iran's nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world," and you recently said that only 'full dismantlement' of those capabilities would be acceptable. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff has made it clear in that context of negotiation that for any final arrangement to work, "Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program."

We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did. The Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated.

As always we stand ready to provide you and your administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests.

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