Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Marco Rubio, Maggie Hassan, and a bipartisan group of their colleagues have sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging his administration to strengthen sanctions against Iran's illicit oil trade. The senators also expressed their support for proposed legislation in the Senate to deny Iran the financial resources it uses to attack U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East.

The letter highlights the importance of enforcing sanctions on Iranian oil, especially in light of the ongoing attacks on U.S. troops by Iranian-backed groups. The senators emphasized that the more money Iran has, the more it can finance terrorism against Americans and their allies. Senator Katie Britt stated, "It's imperative that the Biden Administration abandons appeasement and returns to a maximum pressure sanctions regime on Tehran. The only pathway to peace is through unbowed American strength, not continued waffling."

The letter was also signed by Senators Jim Risch, Jacky Rosen, Mike Crapo, Bob Casey, Bill Hagerty, John Fetterman, Shelley Moore Capito, Catherine Cortez-Masto, Lisa Murkowski, Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Deb Fischer, Ted Budd, John Cornyn, and Pete Ricketts.

The senators urged President Biden to take immediate action to deny Iran additional financial resources that it can use to support terrorism and destabilize the Middle East. They specifically called for sanctions on ships, ports, and refineries involved in transactions with Iranian oil products.

Iran has been exporting an average of more than 1.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, with two-thirds of it going to China. The regime has earned at least $88 billion from these illicit oil exports between February 2021 and October 2023. The senators emphasized that Iran's increasing oil exports and evasions of sanctions enable it to provide financial and material support to terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

The senators also highlighted the attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East by Iranian-backed groups since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of three U.S. servicemembers and numerous injuries. The senators called on President Biden to work harder to stop Iran's funneling of oil exports to finance terror.

In addition to the letter, Senator Katie Britt has been actively advocating for stronger sanctions on Iran. She recently led questioning on enforcement actions during a Senate Committee hearing and criticized the Biden Administration for not utilizing existing tools to financially constrain Iran.

Senator Britt is a cosponsor of several bills related to Iran sanctions, including the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, Revoke Iranian Funding Act of 2023, Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, and PUNISH Act of 2023.

The senators' letter and Senator Britt's efforts highlight the bipartisan concern over Iran's illicit oil trade and the need for stronger sanctions to prevent the financing of terrorist activities.