“A strong signal of deterrence—utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools—is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel. . . "
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — Earlier today, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Scott (R-S.C), members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, as well as other colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling for the administration to clarify and re-evaluate its policy granting Iran access to tens of billions of dollars through sanctions waivers.
In the letter, the senators said:
“A strong signal of deterrence – utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools – is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel and prevent the war in Gaza from expanding into a protracted regional conflict.
"Unfortunately, the administration’s military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have not only been disproportionate, they appear to be completely disjointed.
"We therefore request that your departments provide us with a classified assessment on the administration’s plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
"This assessment should include an estimation of how Iran has already leveraged – and could in the future leverage – against U.S. persons and interests the tens of billions in assets it now has access to due to your administration’s use of U.S. sanctions waivers and is to be provided in a member or staff-level briefing no later than December 7, 2023.”
“A strong signal of deterrence – utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools – is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel and prevent the war in Gaza from expanding into a protracted regional conflict.
"Unfortunately, the administration’s military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have not only been disproportionate, they appear to be completely disjointed.
"We therefore request that your departments provide us with a classified assessment on the administration’s plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
"This assessment should include an estimation of how Iran has already leveraged – and could in the future leverage – against U.S. persons and interests the tens of billions in assets it now has access to due to your administration’s use of U.S. sanctions waivers and is to be provided in a member or staff-level briefing no later than December 7, 2023.”
Read the full letter here.
