WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- More than three dozen Senate Republicans are urging President Joe Biden to “unequivocally” support the occupying regime of Israel and “immediately” end negotiations on Iran sanctions relief, saying Tehran is “supporting” Hamas.
Forty-four Republican senators wrote in a letter to Biden that retaliatory attacks by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza were “troubling” as delegates from several countries are “currently in Vienna negotiating with Iran.”
“In light of these recent attacks by Hamas against Israel, the United States should take all steps necessary to hold Tehran accountable and under no circumstances, provide sanctions relief to Iran,” they wrote.
The Republicans cited Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who said Palestinians should unite to “use the tools of their disposal” to attack the Zionist regime — which he described as a “terrorist garrison”.
They also pointed to Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif, who is “supervising” Iran’s negotiating team in Vienna and called Hamas’ leader to “express Iran’s support for the group’s actions.”
“The United States engaging in active negotiations with Iran and potentially providing billions of dollars in sanctions relief will no doubt contribute to Iran’s support of Hamas and other” resistance groups, they claimed.
“We call on you to immediately end negotiations with Iran, and make clear sanctions relief will not be provided. Doing so would demonstrate a firm commitment to our closest ally in the region and to our own security interests,” they wrote.
Iran is not involved in any “direct or indirect” negotiations with the U.S., because Washington is not a party to the Vienna talks which are held only among the remaining signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The U.S., however, has sent a delegation to Vienna to keep a tab on the ongoing negotiations and possibly try to influence them through its European allies – France, Britain and Germany.