Sen. Ernst, colleagues urge Biden administration to enforce Iranian oil tanker sanctions

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently joined nine colleagues seeking enforcement action regarding a growing fleet of Iranian oil tankers evading domestic sanctions.

Ernst and her colleagues forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden to also address the issue of entities purchasing Iranian oil from the tankers.

“The vessel owners and their customers in China are taking greater risks because they believe that your administration is too weak and indecisive to punish them for their crimes,” the legislators wrote. “Your unwillingness to take actions that could jeopardize the doomed Vienna nuclear talks has undeniably emboldened these criminals. Meanwhile, the boom in oil sales has refilled the Iranian regime’s once-empty coffers, removed crucial American leverage over Iran, and encouraged the Iranians to stall negotiations in Vienna and irreversibly advance their pursuit of a nuclear weapon.”

The lawmakers maintain Biden has presently refused to take action against the sharp rise in Iranian oil exports since taking office.

“We urge you to enforce U.S. sanctions against entities that purchase Iranian oil and against those foreign-flagged oil tankers which keep Iran’s illicit oil trade alive,” the legislators concluded. “Each day you delay gives Iran more money to finance their terrorist activity and more time to develop a nuclear weapon. We would also remind you that sanctions against Iran’s oil exports are mandatory and passed Congress with bipartisan majorities.”