Lafayette Reporter

Senators John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have called on President Joe Biden to take immediate action in enforcing sanctions against Iranian oil sales and permanently freezing the transfer of $6 billion in assets to Tehran. In a letter addressed to the President, the senators emphasized the need to hold Iran accountable for its support of radical terrorism and to ensure the safety and security of Middle East allies.

The senators expressed their concerns about Iran's funding of radical terror and urged the Biden administration to sever financial avenues available to Iran, particularly by cracking down on oil exports. They stated, "For far too long, Iran has evaded consequence for its complacency in funding radical terror. To prevent further atrocities and to fulfill our promise of providing unwavering support to our most important ally in the Middle East, we urge your administration to take the necessary means in severing financial avenues available to Iran, specifically cracking down on oil exports."

Furthermore, the senators called on President Biden to take immediate action to permanently freeze the funding mechanism established in the September hostage deal with Iran. They highlighted that this $6 billion could be used for nefarious purposes rather than for the well-being of the Iranian people. The senators emphasized the importance of blocking Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, from accessing this funding.

In addition to freezing assets, the senators demanded that the Biden administration fully enforce U.S. oil sanctions and interdict Iranian oil exports. They pointed out that the "maximum pressure" campaign had initially led to a significant decrease in Iranian oil exports. However, the campaign has since dissipated, allowing Iran's crude exports to surge to over 2 million barrels per day, resulting in billions of dollars in additional revenue for Tehran. The senators urged President Biden to address this issue promptly.

The senators also voiced concerns about reports indicating a gradual relaxation of congressionally mandated sanctions against Iranian oil sales. They called for these reports to be thoroughly investigated and for the enforcement of sanctions to be upheld.

Senator Kennedy has been leading efforts to prevent an additional $4.9 billion from flowing to Iran through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He introduced the "No Dollars for Dictators Act," which aims to prevent Iran and other perpetrators of genocide and state sponsors of terrorism from receiving special drawing rights through the IMF without congressional authorization.

The senators' letter emphasizes the need for immediate action to hold Iran accountable for its support of radical terrorism and to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil sales. It underscores the importance of blocking Iran's access to the $6 billion in assets and preventing the regime from using it for nefarious purposes. The senators also highlight the need to fully enforce U.S. oil sanctions and interdict Iranian oil exports to address the surge in revenue for Tehran.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/press-releases?ID=9A18325C-017F-4BDB-9CB4-EF21E2F9453F