A number of states that have existing sanctions against Iran have signaled their intent to fight federal attempts to lift them, Bloomberg Politics reported Friday.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia restrict investments by pensions and public entities in companies doing business in the country, according to the group United Against Nuclear Iran. Fifteen Republican U.S. governors, including four presidential candidates, last week sent a letter to Obama saying they would fight to keep their constraints if the administration lifts its nuclear-related sanctions. …

The governors, including presidential aspirants Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, New Jersey’s Chris Christie, John Kasich of Ohio and Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, point to a provision in the deal that says the federal government will “actively encourage” state and local officials to “take into account” U.S. policy lifting some sanctions.

“We intend to ensure that the various state-level sanctions that are now in effect remain in effect,” the governors said in their Sept. 8 letter.

The other governors that signed the letter represent Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.

The letter argues that residents of those states “will not be safer as a result of this agreement, much less citizens of countries like Israel which Iran has threatened to destroy.”

Many of our states have divestment policies for state run pension funds and other state investments, as well as restrictions against state contractors being invested in or doing business with the government of Iran.

Paragraph 25 of the Iran nuclear agreement provides that the federal government will “actively encourage” states to lift state-level sanctions such as the divestment and contracting restriction laws. While Secretary Kerry confirmed in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the agreement will not preempt state law because it is not a treaty, we are concerned about what steps your Administration may take to attempt to implement paragraph 25.

Therefore, we wish to make it clear to you in advance of any efforts to implement paragraph 25 that we intend to ensure that the various state-level sanctions that are now in effect remain in effect. These state-level sanctions are critically important and must be maintained.

A Treasury Department spokeswoman clarified to Bloomberg that the Obama administration will talk to local governments to “inform their decisions” about sanctions.

[Photo: Jim Bowen / Flickr ]