Following the brutal October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, House Republicans are pushing for a comprehensive Iran sanctions package that has been described as the toughest ever proposed by Congress. This legislation, scheduled to be introduced on Monday, would hold Tehran accountable for its support of Hamas’s attacks on Israel and prevent the Biden administration from releasing the $6 billion ransom payment to Iran.
The bill, sponsored by at least 76 lawmakers, would also limit the President’s ability to lift sanctions on Iran until it ceases its support for terrorism. This legislative move is seen as an effort by Republicans to regain control over U.S. foreign policy following the Biden administration’s negotiations with Iran and its failure to enforce sanctions.
We need to go back to Middle East policies that work.
Congress must restore President Trump’s Max Pressure campaign on Iran! https://t.co/A4ceI5H1c4
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) October 30, 2023
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is expected to expedite the bill’s passage. This legislation is a response to Iran’s role in supporting Hamas in its recent attacks on Israel. Congressional foreign policy leaders argue that the White House’s financial support to Iran has emboldened its terrorist activities.
“The threat emanating from the Iranian regime has never been more dire,” said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who played a crucial role in shaping the bill. He added that the administration’s failure to enforce sanctions has had grave consequences.
This bill follows a similar effort in 2021 that sought to impose a range of economic penalties on Iran. However, this new version focuses on Iran’s financial channels to Hamas. It aims to divert the $6 billion ransom payment to a federal fund for American victims of terrorism. The bill also seeks to codify several investigations into the White House’s Iran policy, with allegations of pro-Tehran advocates operating at the highest levels of the Biden administration.
Both the House and Senate are conducting probes into U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley and Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai, who are accused of mishandling classified information and being part of an Iranian-government-run influence network, respectively.
In addition to the measures above, the bill would increase sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, its sale of drones to countries like Russia, and several Iranian banks involved in the $6 billion payment. The legislation would also increase cash rewards for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the attack on Israel.
Republican lawmakers are united in their efforts to hold Iran accountable for its support of Hamas and its terrorist activities. They argue that the Biden administration’s policies have only strengthened Iran and its proxies, making the world a more dangerous place.
As the United States grapples with the fallout from the recent Hamas attack on Israel, GOP lawmakers are taking decisive action to restrict the Biden administration’s ability to negotiate with Iran. They are pushing for tough sanctions that will hold Tehran accountable for its support of terrorism.
