The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of international terrorism and has backed multiple plots to assassinate U.S. citizens on American soil.
Despite this, the Biden Administration continues to pursue a misguided nuclear agreement with Tehran and the Ayatollah.
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicides (PUNISH) Act to prohibit the lifting of sanctions on Iran and prevent the Biden Administration from re-entering any nuclear agreement with Iran until the U.S. can certify that the Iranian regime has not planned any assassination attempts on Americans for five years.
“It is insane to consider lifting sanctions on a murderous regime to begin with, but to do so while it is actively planning to kill our citizens is even more ridiculous. The Biden Administration must recognize that Tehran is not a worthy negotiating partner, and it does not deserve sanctions relief,” said Sen. Rubio.
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An Iranian pro-democracy activist slammed the Biden administration on Thursday for giving Iranian President Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati, also known as Ebrahim Raisi, a visa during a Thursday afternoon appearance on Fox News.
Iranians protested after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody after being detained by the country’s morality police, who claimed she was not following rules set by the country’s theocratic government. The Iranian government began cracking down on the protests, which expanded to 13 cities.
Masih Alinejad, a journalist and author, blasted the Biden administration for allowing Raisi to come to the United Nations to address the United Nations General Assembly following the killing.
“They are protesting not only against forced hijab, they’re protesting against Islamic Republic. They call [the] Iranian Republic ISIS. Because Mahsa [Amini] was an innocent person. She was not even participating in any protest. She was not uncovered. She was wearing [an] ‘inappropriate’ hijab. That’s why the police brutally killed her. The mother and father and family members of Mahsa have been saying that their daughter was beaten up by police,” she told Fox News host Martha MacCallum while discussing the controversial visa grant to Raisi. “Right now, they’re shooting people. They’re killing people.”
“History will judge Biden who gave a visa to our killer, our murderer. This is the time that [the] U.S. administration must see and meet the opposition leaders, they have to meet the people of Iran. They have to recognize the people of Iran,” Alinejad continued. “They should not give [a] visa and legitimize this regime. Right now as I am talking to you, the Revolutionary Guard is in the sanction list, is in the terrorist list. But the U.S. government gave a visa to a member of the Revolutionary Guard. Can you believe that?”
The FBI foiled an alleged Iranian plot to kidnap Alinejad in 2021. The Justice Department also thwarted an alleged plot by Iran to assassinate former National Security Advisor John Bolton earlier this year.
“I cannot believe that the U.S. Government welcomed a terrorist to educate them about human rights. He had a picture of Qassem Soleimani, a man killed by the U.S. government,” Alinejad said, referencing the Iranian general killed in a January 2020 drone strike.
“I don’t care about my life. Yes, I was the target of an assassination plot. I would rather die, but not see that the western countries legitimizing our murderer right now,” Alinejad concluded.
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“It’s hard to fathom that, after countless attacks on Americans, and multiple confirmed plots against U.S. officials, the Biden Administration continues to cozy up to Iran in hopes of a mythical, so-called nuclear deal. President Biden should not provide a dime of sanctions relief to the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which is actively trying to kill U.S. officials and citizens, at home and abroad. The PUNISH Act will ensure Iran continues to feel maximum pressure from the United States,” said Sen. Ernst.
On Thursday, U.S. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“The Iran Regime is actively using its proxies to carry out attacks and threaten U.S. officials despite the Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal that will further enrich the world largest state sponsor of terrorism. The Biden Administration has a duty to protect its citizens from the Iran Regime’s proxies who have already carried out an attack on Salman Rushdie, plotted an assassination against former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Maximum pressure sanctions must be retained against the Iranian Regime,” said Rep. Waltz.
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The legislation has been endorsed by FDD Action, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Action, America First Policy Institute, Republican Jewish Coalition, and Heritage Action.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Free Press.
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