April 9, 2025

Action Alert: Sign Letter Supporting Max Pressure on Iran and Verifiable Disarmament of Nuclear Program

Key Takeaway

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, possibly as soon as Saturday, April 12 in Oman. “I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious,” he said, referring to his recent threats of military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Trump made clear that should the talks fail, “Iran will be in great danger,” reaffirming longstanding U.S. policy that the Islamic Republic, “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

In advance of these negotiations, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) is leading a letter to President Trump commending his return to maximum pressure on Iran:

"We especially commend your leadership in issuing National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2) on Iran, which picks up right where you left off by renewing the bold and necessary policy of confronting this regime’s malign activities. Your first term successes of maximum pressure, including designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; imposing crippling economic sanctions; and driving Iran’s oil exports to historic lows, put the regime under unprecedented economic pressure. Renewing maximum pressure is necessary to force Iran to choose between economic prosperity and nuclear ambition."

The letter also underscores congressional support for the full and verifiable dismantling of the regime's nuclear program. Iran uses diplomacy as a stall tactic to make minimal commitments in exchange for maximum concessions. For the United States to eliminate the threat posed by Iran's nuclear weapons program, the only acceptable outcome is complete nuclear disarmament:

"The regime in Tehran has mastered the art of delay and deception, using diplomatic negotiations as a shield while advancing its nuclear ambitions. We cannot afford another failed agreement that enables Iran to play for time. Nor can we repeat the mistakes of the past by permitting Iran to enrich uranium or maintain the capability to ever reconstitute its nuclear program. The only acceptable outcome is complete and verifiable nuclear disarmament –permanently stripping Tehran of the ability to enrich uranium, develop nuclear-capable missiles, or engage in nuclear weapons-related research. Your Administration has taken the necessary steps to make this goal achievable, and Congress stands ready to support your continued efforts."

FDD Action strongly supports this letter and encourages your office to join as a cosigner. Sign on here via Quill.

• Lead: Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY)

Key Points

Congress Backs the Return to Maximum Pressure: The letter commends President Trump for reissuing maximum pressure policies through National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2). Lawmakers specifically highlight the strategic use of sanctions, terrorism designations, and oil export restrictions during his first term, which placed unprecedented economic strain on the Iranian regime. Renewing this approach is essential to forcing Tehran to choose between economic survival and its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Support for Military Deterrence and Response: The letter expresses strong support for the Administration’s military actions against the Iran-backed Houthis following their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. These actions are a necessary demonstration of strength to reestablish deterrence and communicate that the U.S. will respond decisively to Iranian aggression, whether it is conducted directly or by Iran's terror proxy network

Iran’s Nuclear Program is at a Dangerous Tipping Point: The letter warns that Iran now possesses enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) for multiple nuclear weapons and continues to advance weaponization capabilities. Lawmakers describe this as the most dangerous stage of Iran’s nuclear program to date and argue that previous agreements like the JCPOA failed to halt this progress due to sunset clauses and weak enforcement.

Call for Complete and Verifiable Disarmament: Emphasizing Iran’s history of stalling tactics, the letter urges the President to reject any deal that permits uranium enrichment or preserves the infrastructure for future nuclear development. The only acceptable outcome is full, permanent, and verifiable nuclear disarmament. 

Additional Resources: Iran's Nuclear Disarmament: The Only Deal That Protects U.S. and Allied Security | Key Flaws of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal | Detecting and Halting an Iranian Weaponization Effort

The Full Letter

Dear President Trump:

We write to express our strong support for your Administration’s steadfast commitment to denying Iran nuclear weapons. The decisive policies your Administration has pursued, including strategic military actions and economic sanctions, are sending a clear message to Tehran that the United States will not tolerate the regime’s aggression or its pursuit of nuclear arms. We stand with you in demanding Iran’s nuclear program is fully and verifiably dismantled.

We especially commend your leadership in issuing National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2) on Iran, which picks up right where you left off by renewing the bold and necessary policy of confronting this regime’s malign activities. Your first term successes of maximum pressure, including designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; imposing crippling economic sanctions; and driving Iran’s oil exports to historic lows, put the regime under unprecedented economic pressure. Renewing maximum pressure is necessary to force Iran to choose between economic prosperity and nuclear ambition.

Your recent sanctions of several Iranian targets, particularly those linked to Iran’s missile development programs, energy exports, and financial networks, are essential to ensuring Tehran remains isolated and is unable to fund its destabilizing activities. These measures are not just punitive; they serve a vital strategic purpose by depriving the regime of the resources it needs to further enrich uranium and expand its proxy warfare against U.S. allies like Israel. This regime’s continued defiance only reinforces the need for sustained economic and diplomatic pressure.

We also want to recognize your Administration’s decisive military actions against the Iran-backed Houthis over the past several days in response to their persistent attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. It is vital that the United States restore military deterrence against Iran. The credible threat of force is needed now more than ever to change Tehran’s calculus. Iran has long used the Houthis as a tool to disrupt global commerce, threaten U.S. interests, and create instability across 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.

As your Administration continues implementing NSPM-2, it is vital that we remain focused on Iran’s gravest threat: its nuclear program. Iran’s nuclear program is not just a regional issue, it is an imminent and direct threat to the United States and the world. Tehran’s growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its continued work on advanced centrifuges are unprecedented. Iran’s nuclear program is now at its most dangerous stage. Tehran has amassed enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) for multiple nuclear weapons and is rapidly advancing weaponization capabilities. The JCPOA’s failed sunset provisions, lack of robust verification mechanisms, and allowance for continued centrifuge development have all but ensured Iran’s ability to achieve
nuclear breakout within a matter of months. This status quo is unacceptable, and your Administration’s renewed focus on maximum pressure is the only viable path forward.

The regime in Tehran has mastered the art of delay and deception, using diplomatic negotiations as a shield while advancing its nuclear ambitions. We cannot afford another failed agreement that enables Iran to play for time. Nor can we repeat the mistakes of the past by permitting Iran to enrich uranium or maintain the capability to ever reconstitute its nuclear program. The only acceptable outcome is complete and verifiable nuclear disarmament –permanently stripping Tehran of the ability to enrich uranium, develop nuclear-capable missiles, or engage in nuclear weapons-related research. Your Administration has taken the necessary steps to make this goal achievable, and Congress stands ready to support your continued efforts.

The regime in Iran must understand that there is no situation which allows it to retain a nuclear weapons capability, and there is no scenario in which the United States will accept anything short of its full and permanent disarmament. We will continue to work alongside you to protect American security and prevent Iran from ever achieving its nuclear ambitions.

Signing the Letter

The deadline to sign is close of business on Thursday, April 10.

To sign on, please use the Quill link here. You can also contact Zev Siegfeld with Rep. Tenney at zev.siegfeld@mail.house.gov to join as a cosigner.

Contact FDD Action

If you would like to further discuss this letter or any other related issues, please email us at congress@fddaction.org.