Diplomatic representatives from around the world are scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings, which kick off next week in New York, including officials from the regime of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
With new legislation introduced in the Senate on Thursday, congressional Republicans are saying not so fast on any cronies of the despot heading the world's leading sponsor of terrorism stepping foot on U.S. soil:
[Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)] introduced the Strengthening Entry Visa Enforcement and Restrictions (SEVER) Act on Thursday, which would prohibit Iranian officials from entering the U.S. as representatives to the U.N. if they are sanctioned for backing or were appointed by the office of the Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The Iranian regime and the corrupt officials who run it are responsible for the murder, injury, and kidnapping of thousands of Americans,” Cruz said in a statement. “The Ayatollah means it when he chants ‘Death to America,’ and the United States has developed and imposed sanctions to counter the threats posed by him and those directly around him.”
“If you are a crony of the Ayatollah who has been sanctioned by the U.S., it means that you pose a threat to the safety and security of Americans, and you should not be allowed on American soil – let alone to engage in diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly,” he added.
The measure is co-sponsored by both Florida Republicans in the upper chamber, Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, along with Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Joni Ernst (IA).
One of the topics that's expected to come up in the "high level" meetings, according to The Hill report linked above, is whether the U.N. Security Council will re-impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, in the wake of the United States and Israel bombing Iran's facilities and other war-making equipment back in June.
This move shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, especially Iran, as my colleague Ward Clark previously wrote on Iran's actual leadership--the mullahs--placing a $40 million-plus bounty on President Trump's head in July. There's also of course the not-so-small matter of funding proxies like the Houthis and Hezbollah intent on killing as many Israelis as possible for years.
READ MORE: Iran Has Placed a $40 Million Bounty on President Trump
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The Iranian representatives expected to be a part of the UN General Assembly next week are President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Readers might remember Araqchi's name in connection with the fruitless dilomatic talks the U.S. had with Iran back in the spring.
There's also a parallel measure by the Republican caucus in the House, which was introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who explained in a statement why Pezeshkian in particular cannot be allowed to attend:
“[Iran’s] President Masoud Pezeshkian, like his predecessors, is part of a regime that funds terrorism, destabilizes the Middle East, brutalizes the Iranian people, and has actively targeted Americans. No government official that is part of this despotic regime should ever be permitted to set foot on American soil to spread propaganda or legitimize tyranny,” Tenney said in a statement.
“The SEVER Act will give President Trump the authority to ensure the United States is never a platform for terrorists and tyrants that threaten American citizens,” she added.
This is exactly the way a strong nation needs to act toward worldwide bullies and murderers like Iran. Over the previous four years under the Biden administration, we tread a coward's path of appeasing the Ayatollah's regime with a watered down and ineffective nuclear treaty that basically let Iran thumb its nose at us. Thank goodness we've been able to move away from that kind of weakness with Pres. Trump's reelection.
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