Request by Three Republican Congress Members for a Trip to Iran During Elections

Reports indicate that three Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have applied for a visa to travel to Tehran by visiting the Iranian Interests Section in Washington. According to the Hill newspaper's website, these three Congress members, in a letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, requested that their visa application be considered. Michael Pompeo from Kansas, Lee Zeldin from New York, and Frank LoBiondo from New Jersey stated that their main goal for this trip is to observe the Iranian elections up close. In their letter, they said: 'Our main goal for this trip is to observe your elections on the 7th of Esfand. This is a historic event. It would be a shame if no American has the opportunity to verify the free and fair nature of the elections for the first time in the history of the clerical regime.' The letter also referenced the issue of disqualifications by the Guardian Council. These three Republican Congress members also stated that they want to monitor Iran's implementation of the nuclear agreement during their trip to Tehran, despite being opponents of the nuclear deal with six world powers. Lee Zeldin stated in a statement: 'The American people have the right to access first-hand and credible information about the realities of today's Iran, the implementation of the nuclear agreement, the status of American hostages, and the foreign policy objectives of Iran's leader.' Michael Pompeo also stated: 'If, as Barack Obama and John Kerry claim, Iran is a genuine partner for peace, then the Iranian leaders should have no problem issuing visas for us.' According to the Hill, this request from the Republican representatives is seen as largely performative by supporters of the nuclear agreement with Iran, as last year Republicans in Congress attempted to prevent this agreement, but their efforts were unsuccessful.