Milwaukee City Wire

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has joined Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 48 other senators in sending a letter to French, German, and British foreign ministers. The letter expresses support for the initiation of snapback sanctions on Iran and urges continued pressure until Iran's nuclear program is permanently dismantled.

The lawmakers wrote, “While we back diplomatic efforts to restore Iran’s compliance with its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) commitments, the international community should not allow hollow gestures and cynical threats from Tehran to stop the snapback process. The regime has abused diplomatic processes for years to avoid penalties. Sanctions relief should only be negotiated after snapback is fully implemented. The regime must fully and verifiably dismantle its nuclear program, restore full IAEA access, terminate its support for international terror proxies, and end its ballistic missile program – at a minimum.”

They continued, “In light of the soon-returning international sanctions, we need joint interdiction efforts to prevent Iranian proliferation and acquisition of military, missile, and nuclear goods, technologies, and components. In line with returning UN obligations, we hope you will help us fully shutter Iran’s banking sector abroad, including by closing all branches in Europe.”

The letter concludes with a call for increased pressure: “More pressure is necessary to ultimately bring Iran back to meaningful and serious diplomatic engagement on the full spectrum of its malign activities.”

Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Capito (R-W. Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (N.Dakota), Josh Hawley (R-Mo), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), Roger Marshall (R-Kan), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla), Ted Budd (R-N.C), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo), Katie Britt (R-Ala), Jim Banks (R-Ind), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) also signed the letter.

Ron Johnson has previously won several elections in Wisconsin: he defeated Mandela Barnes in 2022 with 50.4% of the vote; Russ Feingold in 2016 with 50.2%; and again defeated Feingold in 2010 with 51.9%.

The full text of the letter is available online.