Indy Standard

U.S. Senator Todd Young, along with Senator Katie Britt and over 30 other senators, has called on the Biden administration to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel. In a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the group emphasized the importance of consistently enforcing these sanctions.

The letter highlighted that Iran is a major player in the global steel market, using its exports as a significant source of revenue. The senators pointed out that "in 2020, the United States sanctioned Iran’s metals industries and steel producers," which reduced their exports from 9 million metric tons in 2020 to 4.2 million tons in 2021. However, they noted that "Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022."

The senators attributed this rebound to decreased enforcement of sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department amid efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). They warned that relaxed enforcement could empower Iranian-backed terror groups.

"In this instance, relaxing sanctions enforcement resulted in economic enrichment for the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism," they stated. The senators urged for all Iran-related sanctions to be enforced and suggested secondary sanctions against countries engaging economically with Iran.

Among those who signed were Senators Tim Scott, Mike Crapo, Marco Rubio, John Barrasso, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, John Boozman, Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Deb Fischer, Lindsey Graham among others.

The full text of their letter can be found online or read below:

[Excerpt from letter]

Cc: Secretary Antony Blinken and Secretary Janet Yellen