A group of Republican lawmakers is throwing its weight behind former President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on Iran, urging the continuation of sanctions and military deterrence to prevent the regime from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In a letter dated April 11, nine members of Congress praised Trump’s recent actions and reaffirmed their support for his administration’s strategy. They expressed strong approval of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), which renews a “maximum pressure” approach targeting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, missile development, and regional influence.
“We stand with you in demanding Iran’s nuclear program is fully and verifiably dismantled,” the members wrote. They argued that Trump’s earlier measures—such as labeling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization and slashing Iran’s oil revenues—put the regime under “unprecedented economic pressure.”
The lawmakers also applauded recent military strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces, calling them a necessary step to restore U.S. deterrence in the region. “Your commitment to striking back against these provocations sends a clear signal that the United States will not allow Iran’s proxies to operate with impunity,” the letter said.
Citing Iran’s growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its continued development of advanced centrifuges, the members warned that Tehran is nearing nuclear breakout capability. They criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as ineffective and stressed that only full, permanent nuclear disarmament is acceptable.
“The only acceptable outcome is complete and verifiable nuclear disarmament,” they wrote, rejecting any agreement that allows Iran to enrich uranium or maintain weapons-related infrastructure.
The letter was signed by Representatives Claudia Tenney, Derek Schmidt, Barry Loudermilk, Rudy Yakym III, Abraham J. Hamadeh, Burgess Owens, Michael Baumgartner, Mike Bost, and Brian Fitzpatrick.
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