Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., expressed concerns about the Iran nuclear deal in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, Politico reported.
Manchin, who was one of only four in his party to oppose the Obama-era Iran deal in 2015, said he would "do everything in my power to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past."
The senator joined a growing list of Democrats who have stated they are against removing Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the foreign terrorism list after reports have indicated the U.S. is willing to lift some sanctions in return for commitments from Tehran on its nuclear program.
Manchin appears likely to vote with Republicans in disapproving of the deal, but lawmakers on both sides of the debate acknowledge obtaining the 60 votes needed in the Senate for such a measure to pass is not attainable.
However, opponents of the agreement, which has not yet been reached, would get a symbolic victory if bipartisan majorities in both chambers vote to block it.
In his letter, Manchin also warned the Biden administration against turning to Iran as a source for oil, Newsweek reported.
He specifically voiced concern the administration was weighing easing sanctions in order to obtain Iranian oil in an attempt to bring down prices that have shot up since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"Let me be clear, the IRGC is a terrorist organization," Manchin wrote. "We must not be shortsighted in the use of sanctions relief to mitigate our present energy challenges."
Instead, he said, Congress "has the opportunity to pass additional bipartisan energy legislation to further expand our ability to deliver the energy our allies and partners need. We cannot and should not look to Iran to solve our energy problems."
The removal of the IRGC from the list has been one of Tehran’s demands for the agreement, but the Biden administration has not accepted the condition thus far.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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