Kean, McCaul, Wilson, Self call for permanent end to Iran nuclear sanctions waivers benefiting Russia and Iran
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Chairman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (TX-10), Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Chairman Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Representative Keith Self (TX-03) Wednesday co-led a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a permanent end to sanctions waivers exempting certain types of nuclear cooperation with Iran from sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter Proliferation Act (IFCA).
“Continuing to issue these waivers clearly does not serve U.S. nonproliferation objectives or national security interests,” the lawmakers wrote.
“For this reason, the Biden administration rightly chose not to extend waivers under IFCA exempting certain JCPOA-linked projects in Iran, including those supported by Russia’s Rosatom, from sanctions when they lapsed in January 2024. This was a welcome step, but we remain concerned that by failing to take a clear stance on this, the administration is leaving the door open to future sanctions relief on Iran despite the potential benefits for Vladmir Putin’s war machine,” the lawmakers wrote.
