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Friday, March 29, 2024

Florida delegation keeps heat on Obama over Iran

Members of the Florida congressional delegation weighed in this week as efforts to reach a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program have been extended past its Monday deadline. Some of them called for additional sanctions on that Middle East nation and members from both parties took shots at the Obama administration’s handling of the matter.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and a possible contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, slammed the news that talks with Iran had been extended.

“Iran was only brought to the negotiating table through tough sanctions and we need to once again increase the pressure on Iran in the weeks and months ahead to force the regime to abandon its nuclear weapons program,” Rubio said on Monday. “Papering over what appear to be significant differences and once again extending talks with Iran will not achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free Iran. During the course of these negotiations, Iran has received billions of dollars in sanctions relief, bolstering its economy.

“The Iranian regime’s track record as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and an abuser of the Iranian people has not changed,” Rubio added. “From the outcome of this latest round, it also appears that Iran’s leadership remains unwilling to give up their nuclear ambitions. None of this will change in the coming months unless we return to the pressure track that originally brought Iran to the table.

“Endless negotiations and additional concessions will not achieve the desired outcome of an Iran without nuclear weapons that is no longer a threat to its own people and its neighbors,” Rubio said in conclusion. “I will continue working in the Senate to significantly increase the pressure on Iran on all fronts — nuclear, terrorism and human rights — before it’s too late.”

From her perch as chairwoman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., called for Congress to impose new sanctions on Iran when Republicans take control of the Senate in January.

“The latest nuclear extension by the P5+1 defies logic because it illustrates that Iran is not serious about completely abandoning its nuclear program and only cares about gaining more access to funds to continue all of its nefarious activities,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “This is just a stalling tactic by the Iranian regime, and the Obama administration and P5+1 have fallen for it hook, line and sinker. There is no justification for offering an extension to the regime, in exchange for the status quo from Iran and its promise to continue with the negotiations.The regime never had any intention of reaching an agreement, and Rouhani has again bought Iran the time, and more importantly the sanctions relief it needs, to improve its economy and advance its nuclear program.This extension is nothing but folly, and the administration has failed to understand that the objective is to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon and to dismantle and destroy its nuclear infrastructure, not simply pushing back its breakout time.

“The Obama administration should realize that the Iranians are not serious about these talks and should abandon the negotiations and with the Republicans in control of both the House and Senate come January, it’s time that we roll up our sleeves and get to work to pass new sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Ros-Lehtinen added.
Other Republicans also wanted to impose additional sanctions on Iran, including U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“A seven-month extension for ‘negotiations’ will provide Iran with $4.9 billion in sanctions relief and will give Iran valuable time to achieve its nuclear goals,” DeSantis said. “Iran has cheated on the interim agreement and has refused access to key nuclear facilities. Iran seeks a nuclear weapon, not admission to the diplomatic good graces of the so-called international community. The new Congress should put an end to this charade and enact enhanced sanctions that hold this nefarious regime accountable.”

Over on the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., criticized the extension of talks and warned the White House not to try to remove sanctions on its own.

“There has been plenty of time to reach an agreement so this new extension raises significant concerns that Iran is using these talks only as a stalling tactic to receive economic relief. That is why it is troubling that this extension includes additional sanctions relief. While an extension is preferable to a bad deal – it is time that Congress step in to make Iran feel enough pressure to end its nuclear weapons ambitions. Any final deal must include Iran verifiably dismantling their nuclear weapon capability and coming clean on past military dimensions to their program. Lastly, the administration needs to come to Congress before removing any sanctions or significantly altering the sanctions architecture as established by Congress.”

Murphy is not the only Democrat in the Florida delegation wary of Obama’s handling of Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, talked to the Atlantic over the weekend and called for firmer timeframes and sanctions on Iran.

But U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), had the administration’s back.

“Reaching a satisfactory deal to ensure that Iran never has the capability to build a nuclear weapon is hard work but the effort is certainly worthwhile,” Wasserman Schultz said on Tuesday. “I commend this administration and everyone working on the negotiations for their tireless efforts.

“To put it simply, our national security interests and that of our allies are better served with this interim agreement. But it remains just that, an interim agreement, while the parties continue to find the essential elements for a long-term deal,” Wasserman Schultz added. “We must not accept a deal that leaves any of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon open. While the parties continue negotiating, we must continue to keep the pressure on through compliance and verification. Iran must address the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program; International inspectors must continue to have access to Iran’s key uranium enrichment sites; and any deal must include long-term plans for intensive verification measures.”

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN

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