Ten Republican senators have called on the Biden administration to censure Iran at the next International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting.
The call comes after a report revealed that Iran’s nuclear enrichment activity tripled by the end of last year.
“The United States must demonstrate leadership at the IAEA and encourage the international community to uphold its non-proliferation standards,” the senators said Friday in a letter. “The stakes could not be higher.”
The meeting is scheduled for Monday.
Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Braun of Indiana and James Lankford of Oklahoma sent the letter.
They wrote that Iran’s “destabilizing behavior” is not new, but the regime’s efforts have intensified since the terrorist group Hamas’ attack on Israel in October.
“We also encourage the U.S. delegation at the IAEA to push for Iran’s nuclear program to be formally referred to the United Nations Security Council for review,” they wrote. “There is no better way to uphold global non-proliferation norms than to maintain a clear and consistent standard of institutional treatment toward Iran’s nuclear advances.”
“Special treatment must not be accorded in the mistaken belief that it could help de-escalate Iran’s behavior. As we’ve seen in recent months, appeasement is often rewarded with further escalation,” they said.
The senators requested a response from Secretary of State Antony Blinken by March 11 on whether the U.S. advocated a censure resolution against Iran, and if not, why not. They also want to know the administration’s plan for preventing other countries from pursuing rogue nuclear programs and if any concessions were made by Iran.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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