After Iranians with direct links to the country’s most prominent designated terrorist organization were detained in Argentina early last month, the Biden administration has refused to provide key Argentinian law enforcement officials information confirming links to terrorist activities.
The Biden administration’s apparent stalling is prompting U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to ask for an explanation for the delay and whether the failure to confirm terrorist linkages with a major non-NATO U.S. ally could be because of the president’s continued, desperate, and deeply misguided pursuit of an Iran nuclear deal.
Ernst is leading a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding a rationale for the Justice Department’s “uncharactistic delay and lack of responsiveness” to formal requests by the Argentinian judiciary for information key to their investigation into the Iranian suspects. Ernst states that the delay “suggests a prioritization of other parts of this administration’s agenda, such as negotiations over a new Iranian nuclear deal.”
“If it turns out that President Biden’s Justice Department is purposely delaying and ignoring the requests of the Argentine judiciary to carry out their investigation—even in the face of treaty obligations—all to prioritize the administration’s desperate and misguided pursuit of a new Iran nuclear deal, it would be a disgrace and completely unacceptable. We need assurances right away that vital information will be promptly provided, along with a full explanation for the delay,” said Senator Ernst.
