MENENDEZ, COLLEAGUES PEN LETTER TO PRES. TRUMP ON CONTINUED EFFORTS TO FREE AMERICANS DETAINED BY IRAN

The following press release was issued by New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. The original posting can be read here. ​

​Washington, D.C. – US Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by four of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the Iranian Government’s continued detention of United States citizens. Citing the cases of Robert “Bob” Levinson, Baquer and Siamak Namazi, Nizar Zakka, and Xiyue Wang in their letter, the senators urge the Trump administration to expand on efforts to bring these Americans back home to the United States.

​ “It is critical that the United States increase pressure on the Iranian regime to release these Americans,” wrote the Senators. “Time after time, Iran has continued to take American hostages and hold them for political purposes. The international community must not tolerate the practice of hostage taking as a tool of state policy. We urge you to take all steps in the national interest to secure these Americans’ release.”

Menendez has been part of an ongoing effort in Congress to build momentum and increase pressure on the Iranian regime to release Americans in continued detention on sham charges and accusations.  The senators applauded the Administration’s demonstrated interest in helping, and concluded their letter to the President by asking him to “make clear to Iran that our nation will not stand idly by as Iran takes American hostages.”
​
In addition to Menendez the letter was signed by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.); Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Bill Nelson (D-Fla.); and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Below is the full text of the lawmakers’ letter and a PDF can be found here.

Menendez Letter to POTUS Tr... by pobletetamargo on Scribd