Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Democrat on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, issued this statement regarding the release of four American hostages by Iran and the announcement by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has met the obligations outlined by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to begin receiving sanctions relief for curtailing its nuclear weapons program:

"I am thrilled that the four Americans released from Iran today will be reunited with their families, but I am outraged that Iran still refuses to send my constituent Bob Levinson home. This March will mark nine years since Bob disappeared in Iran. He is the longest held American hostage. The Levinson family deserves to feel the same joy and relief as the families of those other Americans released today.

"With the IAEA's verification today of Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, the United States and our international partners must ensure every aspect is strictly enforced and that IAEA inspectors are able to carry out the most stringent monitoring and verification procedures. Congress must be kept informed of the status of the deal, and if any violation is found, we must be prepared to act immediately.

"The lifting of sanctions means the Iranian regime will have access to billions of dollars. While we are told this money will be used for domestic purposes, it is absolutely critical that we ensure these funds are not diverted to Iran’s terror proxies, its illegal ballistic missile program, or its efforts to destabilize the region. These dangerous activities have never been part of the nuclear agreement, and we must vigorously enforce all existing sanctions. As a pressing example, there can be no more delays with respect to imposing sanctions for Iran's two recent illegal ballistic missile tests."