- Crippling sanctionsimposed by president Trump

have catapulted Iran'seconomy into a deep recession.

Now with the Islamic regimeon its financial knees,

Christian and politicalleaders say it's time to demand

Iran release American hostages

and come clean on itsegregious human rights abuses.

Simply reinstating theoriginal nuclear deal

will put the world in grave danger,

says Reverend Johnnie Moore,

speaking as a human rights activist.

- The Iranians were cheating on the deal

from the very beginning.

They took $150 billion, theUnited States gave it to them

and they used it tofund terrorist activity

around the world.

- [Jennifer] He alsoserves on the US Commission

for International Religious Freedom

which recommends the US

raise religious freedom andother human rights abuses

in any discussions with Iran.

Moore goes even further,

I'm appalled by reports that

certain Biden administrationofficials would in effect,

reward Iran for its bad behavior

by eliminating sanctions prematurely.

Negotiations with Iran must involve

the release of arbitrarilydetained Americans

and address Iran's grosshuman rights abuses.

National Security AdvisorJake Sullivan says

the Biden administrationhas communicated with Tehran

over Americans languishingand Iranian prisons,

but there's no indicationthey've been raised

as part of a new nuclear deal.

Wang Xiyue Wang,

an American who spent threeyears detained in Iran tweets,

Biden officials should explain

to American hostages' familiesif the US negotiation team

is talking about our hostages in Vienna.

Biden's Iran policyappears self-righteous,

and lacks a moral compass.

Legislation introduced inboth houses of Congress

opposes lifting sanctions without

addressing the full scopeof Iran's malign activities,

including hostage taking andgross human rights violations.

And a letter signed bybi-partisan lawmakers

asked the White House to address Iran's

full range of threats.

But Michael O'Hanlon withthe Brookings Institution

says the nuclear dealisn't the proper vehicle

to right these wrongs.

- But if you try to geteverything into the deal

and right every wrong withIranian behavior today,

I think you're just guaranteed

not to have any progress at all.

- No doubt many Americanswill be watching intently

as negotiators restart talks this week.

Jennifer Wishon, CBN News.