US Senators Introduce Legislation Calling Out Iran-China Ties

Iran

June 2nd, 6:15am

Washington - Rana Abtar

A view shows traffic on Azadi street in Iran's capital Tehran, April 20, 2021. (AFP)

US Republican Senators introduced on Tuesday a bill to call attention to Iran’s ties with China by prohibiting any deal with Iran until the regime terminates its relations with Beijing and Hamas. US Senators Marco Rubio and Marsha Blackburn introduced the so-called Iran China Accountability Act, which stipulates that Iran terminates all agreements involving the transfer of funds from China and terminates strategic security and military partnerships with China. The two Republicans were joined by Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Thom Tillis, Mike Braun and Ted Cruz. The bill stipulates that Iran terminates all ties and transfers of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas. “Iran should verify the destruction of all nuclear, missile, cyber and chemical weapons, materials, and infrastructure,” the bill said. It also requires that any nuclear agreement with Iran must be ratified by a two-third vote of the US Senate. “The Obama-Biden Iran Deal has always been a failure. The Biden administration should not re-enter a deal that legitimizes the Iranian regime — especially while they continue to fund terrorism, endorse Communist China’s dangerous government, and facilitate genocide,” said Blackburn. She added that this legislation will stop taxpayer dollars from enabling the White House to back this corrupt regime. Describing Iran and China as two of America’s greatest adversaries that cannot be trusted, Scott said, “Iran chants ‘death to America’ and wants to destroy our great ally, Israel. Communist China will stop at nothing in its quest for world domination. These dangerous regimes, clearly emboldened by President (Joe) Biden’s appeasement and desperate desire to re-enter the failed Iran nuclear deal, are working to gain a critical foothold in the Middle East.” For his part, Senator Tillis said the US needs to learn from the failures of the nuclear deal. “Any future agreements between the United States and Iran must ensure Tehran has ceased its support of terrorist groups and its financial reliance on the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party,” he said. The lawmakers also recalled the strategic economic deal signed in March 2021 between Iran and China, which is worth $400 billion, for 25 years. They said this agreement would advance Chinese influence in the Middle East, adding that despite an international sanctions regime, Beijing remains Iran’s largest oil customer.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3679726/us-senators-introduce-legislation-calling-out-iran-china-ties