Crapo, Colleagues to Biden: Strengthen Enforcement of Iran Sanctions

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and a bipartisan group of colleagues sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to enforce current law and act against Iran’s illicit oil trade through sanctions.  The Senators also encouraged support for proposed legislation pending in the U.S. Senate.  This letter is in response to the more than 140 attacks against U.S. troops since the start of Hamas’s brutal assault against Israel on October 7, 2024.

“Our bipartisan Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act, or SHIP Act, the End Iranian Terrorism Act, and other legislative proposals would deny Iran the financial resources it employs to attack U.S. forces and U.S. allies throughout the Middle East,” the Senators wrote.  “We urge you to use all available authorities to proactively implement these sanctions while Congress considers enacting legislation.”

“Strengthening sanctions on Iranian oil is especially critical in light of the ongoing attacks on U.S. forces across the Middle East by Iranian-backed groups,” the Senators closed.  “According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there have been more than 140 attacks on U.S. troops in the region since October 7, 2023, most recently resulting in the tragic deaths of three U.S. servicemembers and dozens of injuries this past weekend.”

In addition to Crapo, other signatories include Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Florida) Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nevada), Lisa Murkowski (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska).

A copy of the letter can be found here.