More than 100 Democratic and Republican House lawmakers have continued to pressure US President Joe Biden to hold the Iranian government accountable for human rights violations and its destabilizing activities in the Middle East.
Brad Sherman and Tom McClintock urged in a letter to the president to "remain firm" as his administration seeks to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Signed by 112 House members, the symbolic letter supports a democratic, secular Iran and calls for measures against Tehran’s “terror” plots.
"For the sake of national security, peace, regional stability, and the Iranian people’s desire for freedom, the United States must remain firm in holding the Iranian government accountable both for its nuclear and other destabilizing activities in the region; such as its support for terrorism, development of ballistic missiles, and human rights violations against its own people," the lawmakers wrote.
They added that the United States must work with its allies to hold Iran accountable for breaching its diplomatic privileges, and to work to prevent the malign activities of the Iranian regime’s diplomatic missions.
Their letter came shortly after the conviction of Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi, who was found guilty of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group near Paris in June 2018.
"The House of Representatives condemns past and present Iranians state-sponsored terrorist attacks against United States citizens and officials, as well as Iranian dissidents, including the Iranian regime's terror plot against the 'Free Iran 2018-the Alternative’ gathering in Paris," the resolution said.
Last week, the administration said it would not lift sanctions against Iran until it honored its commitments to the nuclear agreement.
