Duval Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Rick Scott and Senator Katie Britt, along with 29 Senate Republican colleagues, have written a letter urging the Biden administration to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel. The senators emphasize the importance of proactively and continuously enforcing these sanctions and highlight the negative consequences of ineffective enforcement.

Iran is one of the largest steel-producing countries in the world, and its steel industry generates significant funds through exports. In 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran's metals industries and steel producers, which greatly impacted their exports in 2021. Iranian steel exports decreased from 9 million metric tons to 4.2 million tons in 2021 due to the enforcement of these sanctions.

However, Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022, coinciding with the United States' reengagement with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and a decrease in the enforcement of existing sanctions by the Treasury Department.

The senators warn that relaxed sanctions enforcement only serves to enrich the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and enables Iranian-backed terror proxies to continue their barbaric attacks on innocent civilians. The letter states, "We owe it to the innocent children, women, and men who were savagely beaten, raped, tortured, and killed on October 7, 2023."

The senators call on the Biden administration to enforce all Iran-related sanctions at its disposal, including secondary sanctions on other countries seeking economic engagement with Iran. By doing so, they believe it is possible to effectively combat regimes that sponsor terrorism and do not share the values of the United States.

Joining Senators Scott and Britt in signing the letter were several prominent Republican senators, including Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio, and many others.

The senators' letter highlights the ongoing threat posed by Iran as the largest state sponsor of terrorism. They emphasize the need for consistent and robust enforcement of sanctions to prevent Iran from furthering its malign activities. The United States and its allies must remain vigilant in countering the actions of the Iranian regime and protecting innocent lives.

The full letter can be found [here](insert link to the letter).

Sincerely,

Senate Republicans

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2023/12/senators-rick-scott-katie-britt-urge-biden-administration-to-enforce-iran-steel-sanctions