Ricketts Pushes for European Allies to Snapback Sanctions On Iran: “Maximum Leverage”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, again urged the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, otherwise known as the E3, to trigger the snapback of U.S. sanctions on Iran. In February, Ricketts introducedbicameral legislation calling for snapback sanctions. Ricketts made the following comments:
“There’s been a recent United Nations report confirming that Iran now possesses enough 60% enriched uranium to produce six nuclear warheads. This escalates the threat beyond the US and Israel, posing a direct risk to our allies across the Middle East and Europe,” said Ricketts. “This enrichment defies U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which originally codified the JCPOA. I applaud President Trump’s decisive move to reimpose maximum pressure on Iran, as well as entering into negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. However, the credibility and strength of these talks hinge on the United States entering with room with maximum leverage – entering the room with maximum leverage. That’s why I’ve introduced a resolution, backed by 18 of my colleagues, urging the E3 to trigger the snapback of U.N. sanctions before the October deadline.”
Watch the video HERE
Ricketts made the comments in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing considered the nominations of Charles Kushner, to be U.S. Ambassador to France, Leah Campos, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Edward Walsh, to be U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and Joseph Popolo, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “First of all, thank you to all of our nominees here for your willingness to serve our great nation.
“And I want to especially thank your families because they will serve alongside you and make it possible for you to be able to serve our country.
“So thank you very much to the families who are willing to sacrifice, along with our nominees here.
“Mr. Kushner, I’m going to start with you because again, we’ve talked about how important the relationship with France is.
“And you know, there’s been a recent United Nations report confirmed that Iran now possesses enough 60% enriched uranium to produce six nuclear warheads.
“This escalates the threat beyond the US and Israel, posing a direct risk to our allies across the Middle East and Europe.
“This enrichment defies UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which originally codified in JCPoA.
“I applaud President Trump’s decisive move to reimpose maximum pressure on Iran, as well as entering into negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal.
“However, the credibility and strength of these talks hinge on the United States entering with room with maximum leverage, entering the room with maximum leverage.
“That’s why I’ve introduced a resolution, backed by 18 of my colleagues, urging the E3 to trigger the snapback of UN sanctions before the October deadline.
“The French have supported the snapback of sanctions, but have stated that it’s contingent on reaching a nuclear deal.
“Mr. Kushner, do you believe that restoring UN sanctions would give President Trump a stronger hand in confronting the Iranian regime?
Mr. Charles Kushner: “Without a doubt it would.
“And why the French have not used that snapback to date is a mystery to me, because I would think that they would have used it. I
“’m not sure if they don’t have the will or the desire or whatever it may be, but I will be pushing that because I think that should be exercised and it expires within months.
“So the fact that they have that that right and have not used it is a shame.
“I think we should be standing up and really lobbying very, very hard for them to exercise it.
“And I think maximum sanctions is there’s very I think President Trump really has this issue and it’s not it’s either going to be negotiated, no nuclear, or it’s going to have to be an alternative of military.
“And I think President Trump has made that clear.
“So I think maximum protection, maximum leverage on the Iranians. I think France and America are totally in total agreement on that.
Senator Ricketts: “Well, Mr. Kushner, that really heartens me to hear you say that because I agree with you 100%.
“You know, during the first Trump administration, we saw that because of those sanctions, the Trump administration was able to bring Iranian foreign reserves down from $122.5 billion to under $14 billion.
“And that cut off their ability to be able to fund the terrorism that we see around the world and continue to put pressure on the way the Trump administration has is important.
“You know, my colleague here Mr. McCormick, was talking about the Indo-Pacific, and that has emerged an area of key threat from communist China.
“And he mentioned he talked a little bit about France’s role there as well.
“It’s home to 1.6 million French citizens live across its seven overseas territories and over 9,000,000km² of French exclusive economic zone.
“Recognizing this, France became the first European country to adopt an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2019, and through the strategy, France participated in the freedom of navigation exercises that we’re talking about through the Taiwan Strait.
“But, you know, we’ve seen communist China being incredibly aggressive with their illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive practices in especially relating to our allies like the Philippines and Taiwan as well.
“I authored the Bolster Act to encourage European engagement in support of Taiwan security with one of the largest militaries in Europe and naval forces as well extending their presence to this reason, France could really play a great role.
“Can you talk about how can you work with France to get them to better support Taiwan and the relationship there, given its leadership, you know, France’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific?
Mr. Charles Kushner: “I think France recognizes the same thing that America recognizes, what a what a threat China is to the world.
“I don’t think there’s daylight between them in terms of assessing what them as their capability and their infiltration and stealing technology and all the other things and devaluing currency and robbing us on trade.
“So I think France and America are very aligned.
“It’s just that France has to step up to be more aggressive, like America is now stepping up to be more aggressive.
“And I see it as my job as a future ambassador to meet with the officials and apply that pressure, knowing that they should be more in step lock with the American policy.
“So I’m all for your proposal, and I’m all for supporting it.
Senator Ricketts: “Great. Well, thank you.
Mr. Charles Kushner: “Thank you very much for being a cheerleader for it.
Senator Ricketts: “Right. Great. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Kushner.
“And again, I hope that once you’re confirmed as ambassador, that you’ll work with whoever is in leadership in France, whether it’s President Macron or somebody else, to remember that even though we certainly respect France as a having their own policies and you know, and wanting to have the independence from the United States that they deserve as a sovereign nation, that we work better together as a team, and that especially when we’re confronting Communist China, this is the single biggest threat that we face internationally.
“But it’s not just a threat to the United States, it’s a threat to France and all the other freedom-loving countries in the world.
“Because XI Jinping is a dictator who’s who’s bent on world domination.
“And you know, for France to go a separate way from the United States would undermine our collective security.
“So I hope you’ll, you’ll emphasize that when you get there.
Senator Ricketts: “Thank you.”