In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken today, Senator Joe Manchin wrote that he is “very concerned” about President Biden’s negotiations to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal and requested a briefing on the state of the talks.
Manchin wrote that, while he supports Biden’s effort to pursue diplomacy with Iran, he is worried about lifting sanctions on the regime before it takes steps toward retreating from its nuclear ambitions, stops financing terrorism activities, and halts its development of ballistic missiles.
“I am particularly worried about reports that you might be considering removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization list in the hopes that trade relations can be reestablished with Iran to assist with our energy crisis. Let me be clear. the IRGC is a terrorist organization,” he added.
The nuclear talks have stalled in Vienna, where the U.S. and Iran have spoken via intermediary countries, including Russia.
While top Biden officials, including Blinken, have stated unequivocally that the IRGC is a terrorist organization, they haven’t ruled out a move to lift the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation. That label comes with a number of penalties, including a ban on the groups’ members entering the U.S.
“For decades, the Iranian leadership has chosen to direct its government’s efforts and willpower toward destabilizing the Middle East and Africa through terrorism financing, which has resulted in thousands of deaths, including the deaths of U.S. servicemembers,” wrote Manchin.
“If these activities are allowed to continue, Iran could become a nuclear weapons power leading to a nuclear arms race in the region,” he also warned.
Manchin isn’t the first Democratic lawmaker to warn about the state of the administration’s Iran talks. A growing group of lawmakers in the House is similarly raising alarm about the White House’s drive to cinch a new deal.
“The old JCPOA did not work, and any new deal that does not prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon is unacceptable,” said Representative Elaine Luria, during a press conference with over a dozen other House Democrats earlier this month. “I have serious concerns about reports that negotiators in Vienna are discussing lifting sanctions designed not only to address Iran’s illegal nuclear activities, but even its state sponsorship of terrorism.”