Nashville Standard

United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), along with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and 16 other Senate colleagues, has sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to strengthen the enforcement of sanctions against Iran. The senators are calling for action against Iran's illicit oil trade and support for proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate.

The letter states, "Our bipartisan Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act, or SHIP Act, the End Iranian Terrorism Act, and other legislative proposals would deny Iran the financial resources it employs to attack U.S. forces and U.S. allies throughout the Middle East. We urge you to use all available authorities to proactively implement these sanctions while Congress considers enacting legislation."

The senators emphasize the importance of strengthening sanctions on Iranian oil in light of the ongoing attacks on U.S. forces by Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East. They highlight that there have been more than 140 attacks on U.S. troops in the region since October 7, 2023, resulting in the tragic deaths of three U.S. servicemembers and dozens of injuries.

The senators call on President Biden to take immediate action to stop Iran's illicit oil trade, stating, "These exports provide a crucial lifeline to sustain and expand Iran's sponsorship of terrorist groups whose objective is to harm U.S. interests in the Middle East and to destroy our ally, Israel."

Specifically, the senators urge President Biden to sanction ships transporting Iranian petroleum products, as well as the foreign ports and refineries that knowingly accept those products.

The letter concludes, "Thank you for your attention to this important matter."

The senators' call for stronger enforcement of Iran sanctions comes in response to Iran's funding, training, and equipping of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad. The senators highlight that Iranian funding has also supported proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen.

Iran's illicit oil trade has been a significant source of revenue for the regime. The senators note that Iran is exporting more than 1.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, with two-thirds of it ending up in China. From February 2021 to October 2023, Iran has earned at least $88 billion from these illicit oil exports.

The senators point out that the surging oil exports and increasing sanctions evasion enable Iran to provide financial and material support to terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah. They highlight the well-documented evidence that Iranian weapons were used by Hamas fighters in the October 7 attack on Israel.

Furthermore, the senators stress that strengthening sanctions on Iranian oil is critical due to the ongoing attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East by Iranian-backed groups. These attacks are directly enabled by the financial and military support provided by Iran.

In conclusion, the senators call on President Biden to take immediate action to stop Iran's illicit oil trade and to sanction ships, foreign ports, and refineries involved in transporting and accepting Iranian petroleum products. They emphasize the importance of cutting off Iran's financial resources that enable the support of terrorist groups and pose a threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East and the security of Israel.