Iranian American Coalition Asks Senate Not to Undermine Iran Negotiations

November 19, 2013, Washington, D.C. – A coalition of Iranian American organizations yesterday sent a letter to key U.S. Senators to express concern regarding the imposition of new sanctions against Iran at this time. The letter was signed by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, National Iranian American Council, Pars Equality Center, Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, and United for Iran.

The letter coincides with numerous legislative initiatives under consideration in the U.S. Senate that would expand and tighten existing sanctions against Iran during a critical period of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries. The signatories to the letter recognize that “a negotiated settlement that limits Iran’s nuclear capability and allows for stringent international monitoring is in the best interest of the United States.”

The letter notes that further sanctions on Iran at this time would undermine U.S. credibility, strengthen hardliners in Iran, alienate the Iranian people, splinter the international coalition cooperating on sanctions, and drive Tehran from the negotiating table.

“U.S. and international efforts were intended to bring Iran to the negotiating table,” the authors write in the letter. “It is now time to allow these negotiations to continue without interruption and put diplomacy to the test.”

The letter follows an action alert sent by PAAIA encouraging the Iranian American community to encourage their senators to allow the negotiations to proceed without undermining them by passing new sanctions.

A 2013 National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans by PAAIA shows that a solid majority of Iranian Americans support President Obama’s handling of Iran’s nuclear program and more than two-thirds would support the removal of sanctions if the Iranian regime reached an agreement with the U.S. and the international community concerning its nuclear program.

Click here to read the full letter.

Contact your Senators today and tell them not to undermine negotiations with Iran by passing new sanctions.