Sen. Ted Cruz joined a handful of protesters in prayer outside the White House who were seeking spiritual intervention for an American pastor who’s been jailed in Iran for a year. They were asking the Obama administration to step up its efforts to free him.
Pastor Saeed Abedini’s one-year anniversary behind bars in Iran came on Thursday. The Texas Republican joined about 20 others in a public prayer event to call on President Obama to do more to win his release — and to do more to free all of the other Americans in jail in Iran, also, CNN reported.
Mr. Cruz has also brought forth legislation that would stipulate the terms of any personal meeting between Mr. Obama and the new Iranian president. The first of the “two preconditions” is that Iran “affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state,” he said, CNN reported. And the second would demand Iran “release the American prisoners who are suffering in [their] jail cells right now, including Pastor Abedini.”
Mr. Cruz kneeled in front of the White House and began praying with his colleagues after he made the comments, CNN reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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