SE Kansas News

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, alongside Senator Pete Ricketts and 50 other Republican senators, has voiced support for President Trump's ongoing negotiations with Iran aimed at dismantling the country's nuclear program. The senators emphasized their backing in a letter addressed to the president, underscoring the need for Iran to "permanently give up any capacity for enrichment."

"We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment," stated the letter.

The group of senators expressed concern over previous agreements like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which they argue allowed Iran time to advance its nuclear capabilities. They assert that "the Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated."

Senators Jim Banks, John Barrasso, Marsha Blackburn, and others joined Moran and Ricketts in signing the letter. The signatories highlighted actions taken during Trump's first term, such as withdrawing from the JCPOA and imposing maximum pressure on Iran, which they claim deterred significant nuclear progress by Tehran.

They criticized the Biden administration for reversing these measures, stating that it led to Iran reaching "the brink of nuclear breakout." According to them, this was due to concessions made without reciprocal actions from Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's report from February 26 was cited by the senators as evidence of lost oversight regarding Iran's nuclear activities. They reiterated Trump's stance against allowing Iran any enrichment capability: "Iran’s nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger."

Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff was quoted reinforcing this position: “Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”

In closing, the senators affirmed their readiness to support Trump’s administration in advancing U.S. national security interests.