Texas Governor Greg Abbot has not only refused to lift Texas’ sanctions on the Iran regime, according to a letter he sent to the White House, he has ordered new sanctions be designed against Iran.  Texas has sufficient economic clout for these sanctions to be telling, as the state is a large enough economically that if it were an independent nation it would be the world’s 12th largest economy (as of 2014).  Gov. Abbot insists that new sanctions will be put into place.

“I strongly oppose the Iran deal because it undermines the national security of the United States and its strategic allies abroad – especially our most important Middle East ally, Israel,” Abbott wrote in his letter to the President. “Entering into an agreement with a country that consistently calls for ‘death to America,’ and repeatedly articulates antisemitic policies is short-sighted and ignores geopolitical realities.”

The news comes as Congress warns that there remain startling details about the Iranian treatment of US sailors it illegally captured on the high seas last autumn in the wake of the deal.  The Washington Free Beacon reports:

[Rep. Randy] Forbes suggested that Iran’s treatment of the U.S. sailors—which included filming them crying and forcing them to apologize at gunpoint—may have been much worse than what has been publicly reported.

“I think clearly there were violations of international and maritime law that took place here,” Forbes said. “We [the United States] did almost nothing in response, in fact, to have Secretary [of State John] Kerry actually thank them for releasing our sailors after they way they captured them, I think was a slap in the sailors’ face.”

The Obama administration embarrassed itself by expressing “gratitude” for Iran’s seizure of American military hostages on that occasion.  Although it has not been publicly confirmed, the seizure probably also included sensitive classification communication equipment that Iran has not returned.

Governor Abbot’s letter upbraided President Obama for his neglect of American security, but also that of American ally Israel.  Abbot, who has just returned from a trip to Israel, wrote warmly of Texas’ relations with the Jewish nation.  His remarks are worth quoting at some length.

“Israel has no stronger ally in the United States than the state of Texas. That’s true for several reasons, in part because of our personality similarities, but also in part because of our commitment to defending religious liberty [and] state sovereignty…. Israel is the nicest house in a rough neighborhood…

I am deeply disturbed by the Iran deal that was struck by President Obama. I view it as a potential existential threat to Israel and, frankly, to nations across the globe. It makes no sense to me why the United States would be an accomplice to arming and aiding economically a nation that to this day seems to be devoted to terrorism. And every step of the way during the negotiation and post-negotiation process…Iran has repeatedly shown unwillingness to comply with any of the demands that were expected of them. And you all know probably better than I do what Iran did in March, where it launched missiles, saying in Hebrew that Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. If that is not a message that the world should comprehend and understand the magnitude of, then the world needs to wake up.”