{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-colleagues-applaud-e3-snapback-sanctions-on-iran-encourage-maintaining-pressure/", "Ricketts, Colleagues Applaud E3 Snapback Sanctions on Iran, Encourage Maintaining Pressure", "2025-09-18", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Pete Ricketts", "R000618", "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "ricketts", "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined 49 Senate Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Johann Wadephul, German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Yvette Cooper, British Secretary of State. The letter thanked them for initiating snapback sanctions on Iran and encouraged them to maintain pressure until Iran permanently dismantles its nuclear program. The letter was led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID).\n\n\u201cWhile we back diplomatic efforts to restore Iran\u2019s compliance with its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) commitments, the international community should not allow hollow gestures and threats from Tehran to stop the snapback process,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cThe regime has abused diplomatic processes for years to avoid penalties. Sanctions relief should only be negotiated after the 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 \u2014 at a minimum.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn 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,\u201d The lawmakers continued. \u201cIn line with returning UN obligations, we hope you will help us fully shutter Iran\u2019s banking sector abroad, including by closing all branches in Europe.\u201d\n\n\u201cMore pressure is necessary to ultimately bring Iran back to meaningful and serious diplomatic engagement on the full spectrum of its malign activities,\u201d the lawmakers concluded.\n\nAdditional signers included Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-SD), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Curtis (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Boozman (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Shelley Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Todd Young (R-IN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK.), Ted Budd (R-NC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jim Banks (R-IN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Ashley Moody (R-FL).\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below:\n\nDear Minister Barrot, Minister Wadephul, and Secretary Cooper:\n\nWe write to applaud the United Kingdom, France, and Germany for initiating the snapback process to return international sanctions on Iran at the United Nations Security Council. This action was necessary in light of the Iranian regime\u2019s persistent acts of nuclear extortion. We commend your leadership and support the successful reimposition of international sanctions and restrictions targeting the Iranian arms industry, its nuclear and missile programs, and its terror and proliferation activities.\n\nWhile we back diplomatic efforts to restore Iran\u2019s 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 \u2014 at a minimum.\n\nIran\u2019s provocative nuclear threats, its reckless attacks with ballistic missile, and its wanton aggression through support for terrorism threaten the entire international community. Once snapback is completed, we look forward to working with you to ensure all UN members states and private actors abide by their renewed obligations and hold Iran accountable.\n\nWe understand your governments\u2019 hope that diplomacy would eventually succeed in ending Iran\u2019s nuclear program, but after decades of the regime\u2019s intransigence, its repeated deceptions, and now its open support for Putin\u2019s war against Ukraine, we will count on your governments to lead the charge and advance a passionate enforcement of sanctions against Iran \u2013 whether at the European Union, in your respective capitals, or in foreign capitals.\n\nWe also remain deeply concerned by the funding mechanism of Iran\u2019s nuclear and ballistic missile program: its oil sales \u2014 particularly to China \u2014 and smuggling operations via third countries. We appreciate the cooperation your governments have already shown in curbing these sales.\n\nIn 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\u2019s banking sector abroad, including by closing all branches in Europe. Closing off the regime\u2019s financial pathways will curb the regime\u2019s aggression. More pressure is necessary to ultimately bring Iran back to meaningful and serious diplomatic engagement on the full spectrum of its malign activities.Thank you again for your leadership at this pivotal moment. We look forward to continued cooperation to ensure the full reimposition of sanctions on Iran and to achieve our shared objective: a permanent dismantlement of Iran\u2019s nuclear program, the elimination of its uranium enrichment capability, the termination of its support for international terror proxies, and the end of its ballistic missile program.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-colleagues-applaud-e3-snapback-sanctions-on-iran-encourage-maintaining-pressure/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.870463067665696, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}