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Washington, DC -- The House Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday approved a resolution, by U.S. Rep. Ron Klein (FL-22) and other Members of the Congressional Iran Working group, calling on the Iranian government to immediately release 15 British troops who were captured in the Persian Gulf late last week. Due to the urgency of the resolution, Committee Chairman Tom Lantos moved the measure quickly through committee. The resolution is expected to reach the House floor in the very near future, with the possibility of a full vote by the House of Representatives this week.
Klein, who serves as vice-chair of the Iran Working Group and the Middle East Subcommittee, yesterday circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter, urging Members of Congress to co-sponsor the resolution. Within one day, Klein and his colleagues secured the support of almost 60 co-sponsors.
“I applaud the recognition of urgency expressed by Chairman Lantos and the Foreign Affairs committee and their swift action in passing our resolution condemning Iran’s unacceptable actions,” said Klein. “It is important, not only to our national security here at home but for the security of our allies, that the United States Congress send the Iranian government a strong message, that we will not tolerate the Iranian government’s threats and actions. Iran has captured these British soldiers against the backdrop of its flouting of the international community as it continues to develop its nuclear program. As Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and the Iranian Working Group, I recognize that dealing with the growing Iranian threat is critical for regional stability, protecting our national interests and supporting our allies, like Israel, in the region.”
In his first three months in Congress, Klein has placed the Iranian threat on the top of his foreign policy agenda. Klein has:
Sponsored a briefing for Congressional offices on Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas’s presence in Latin America
Co-sponsored a resolution calling on the United Nations Security Council to charge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the United Nations Charter because of his calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.
Co-sponsored three pieces of legislation to strengthen sanctions against Iran. | 
