Lawmakers urge Obama to press Iran harder on nukes

Congressmen say victory of relative moderate in recent elections no indication that Islamic Republic has changed its course

2 July 2013, 9:53 pm

Edit

Iran's heavy water nuclear facilities near the central city of Arak, 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Tehran (photo credit: AP/ISNA/Hamid Foroutan/File)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In the wake of Iran’s recent election, a bipartisan group of congressmen is calling on President Obama to increase pressure on Iran to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
Forty-five lawmakers signed on to the June 28 letter to Obama.

“Our diplomatic goal must be to reach a negotiated settlement in which Iran agrees to verifiably dismantle its nuclear weapons program,” the letter said. “For this outcome to be realized, Iran must face intensifying pressure.”

Among the signers were Reps. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the committee’s ranking member.

The new Iranian president, Hasan Rouhani, was perceived to be the most moderate of the candidates, and “while this was not a free and fair election, judged by international standards, its outcome reflected considerable dissatisfaction by the Iranian people with an autocratic and repressive government that has internationally isolated Iran,” the letter noted.

The letter pointed out that “Iran’s election unfortunately has done nothing to suggest a reversal of Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capacity.” It also noted that Rouhani previously served as his country’s nuclear negotiator and had indicated his support for the program in a post-election news conference.