US Lawmakers Pressure Biden to Enforce Sanctions on Assad

House Republicans have accused US President Joe Biden’s administration of failing to enforce sanctions on Syria as part of a bid to appease Iran.

“We are concerned that your administration is failing to enforce US sanctions law on one of the worst human rights violators in the world, who has killed half a million people, as a concession to Iran to re-enter the failed Iran nuclear deal,” the lawmakers wrote.

In a letter sent to State and Treasury Secretaries Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen, they expressed deep concern that after months of being in office, the administration has refused to impose any sanctions.

They further wondered why the administration has not exercised its sanctions authority under the Caesar Act, which was approved by the Congress in late 2019.

“Is the administration refusing to enforce sanctions on one of the world’s worst human rights violators, Bashar al-Assad, as a concession to the Iranians as part of rejoining the JCPOA?” they asked.

The lawmakers, Bryan Steil, Jim Banks and Joe Wilson, are members of the Republican Study Committee, the House’s largest conservative caucus, which opposes the administration’s efforts to provide Iran with massive sanctions relief.

“After more than 100 days in office, the Biden administration has refused to impose any sanctions under the Caesar Act. Sanctions enforcement against these threats must be a top priority,” the letter read.

“The Iran Deal sold out the Syrian people the first time around, and I fear that history is repeating itself,” Wilson wrote.

“Iran has repeatedly violated congressionally approved US sanctions on Syria by sending shiploads of crude oil to Assad. This also violates sanctions on Iran aimed at stymieing its oil trade and cutting off a source of revenue for the hardline regime.”

Republican foreign policy leaders are investigating the matter, the letter stressed, noting that the investigation is one of several active probes being led by the Committee.

The congressmen said they are “committed to investigating and uncovering any sanctions relief provided to Iran and its allies as part of your (administration’s) efforts to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal”.