Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville and colleagues urge Biden administration to enforce sanctions on Iranian steel

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) announced that last week she and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) had joined 29 of their Senate Republican colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Treasury Department to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel.

“The Biden Administration must reimpose a comprehensive, bone-crushing sanctions enforcement regime on Iran and its terror proxies,” stated Senator Britt. “As this Administration continues down a dangerous, misguided path of appeasement, it only endangers our national security and emboldens our adversaries across the globe. It is past time to achieve peace through unrelenting strength.”

In the letter, the Senators express the importance of “proactively and continuously” enforcing sanctions and the detrimental consequences of ineffective – or willfully negligent – enforcement. Iran is one of the largest steel-producing countries in the world, with the industry generating significant funds via exports.

“In 2020, the United States sanctioned Iran’s metals industries and steel producers, massively impacting their exports in 2021,” the Sens. wrote. “The enforcement of these sanctions decreased Iranian steel exports from 9 million metric tons in 2020 to 4.2 million tons in 2021,” wrote the Senators. “However, Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022. This correlates to the United States reengaging with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with a decrease in enforcement of existing sanctions by the Treasury Department.”

“We write to you just weeks after our nation’s great ally was suddenly and barbarically attacked by Hamas terrorists—proxies funded, trained, and equipped by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Sens wrote. “The pure evil inflicted on the Israeli people on October 7, 2023, will live in infamy as one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in world history.”

“Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism across the globe, and its stated objective is to wipe Israel off the face of the planet,” the Sens. continued. “It is estimated that Iran provides $700 million dollars annually to Hezbollah and $350 million annually to Hamas. Additionally, Iranian-backed terrorist proxies in Syria and Iraq have received substantial new financial support, including double-digit percentage increases to the salaries paid to affiliated individuals this year alone.”

“Steel is one of Iran’s most lucrative export markets,” the Sens. explained. “The World Steel Association announced in September 2023 that Iran is the 10th largest steel producer in the world. In 2020, the United States sanctioned Iran’s metals industries and steel producers, massively impacting their exports in 2021. The enforcement of these sanctions decreased Iranian steel exports from 9 million metric tons in 2020 to 4.2 million tons in 2021. However, Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022. This correlates to the United States reengaging with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with a decrease in enforcement of existing sanctions by the Treasury Department.” We urge your Administration to enforce all Iran-related sanctions at your disposal, to include secondary sanctions on other countries who seek economic engagement with Iran. We owe it to the innocent children, women, and men who were savagely beaten, raped, tortured, and killed on October 7, 2023.”

Iran funds terror groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and other places. Those Iranian-backed militia groups have, in recent weeks, attacked American armed forces as well as the Israelis. The U.S. Navy destroyer Carney was recently attacked in the Red Sea by drones launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. While the Ayatollah has consistently used the harshest rhetoric possible about war with the United States and Israel, the Biden administration has avoided taking sterner stances with the country. Republican critics argue that the Biden Administration’s payment of six billion dollars to Iran in exchange for prisoners only emboldened the regime by showing weakness.

Katie Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022.

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