Pompeo Joins House Republicans to Unveil Iran Sanctions Bill

The bill would expand sanctions on Iran and block Biden from rejoining the nuclear deal

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with House Republicans in Washington on Wednesday to throw his support behind a piece of legislation that would expand sanctions on Iran and block President Biden from lifting sanctions that are already in place without congressional approval.

The legislation, titled the Maximum Pressure Act, is named after the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” sanctions policy on Iran that decimated the Islamic Republic’s economy. The bill would require any new deal with Iran to be ratified by the Senate. The Republican Study Committee announced its plan to introduce the legislation, which already has over 80 co-sponsors.

Pompeo joined members of the RSC, which is led by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who is spearheading the legislation. “America, our ally, Israel and the world are safer because President Trump’s Maximum Pressure policy and crushing sanctions denied the Iranians the resources they needed to support building a nuclear weapon or to support terrorism around the globe,” Pompeo said in a statement.

As President Trump’s secretary of state, Pompeo played a crucial role in the brutal sanctions campaign against Iran. While he touts its success, the maximum pressure campaign never brought Iran to the table and only led to the Islamic Republic increasing the activity of its civilian nuclear program.

The Biden administration is currently engaged in indirect talks with Iran aimed at reviving the JCPOA. While progress is slow, Iran has had positive things to say about the negotiations and expects a deal to be worked out soon.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.