The Iranian government is reeling. The 12-Day War with Israel, which resulted in the U.S.'s near-destruction of three of Iran's most prized nuclear facilities, along with the killing of much of the military's senior leadership, has upended Iran's command and control apparatus, sowing distrust and confusion in its ranks.
It won't take long for Iran to recover from these blows. That's why it's imperative that the United States do everything in its power to fatally weaken the Iranian regime and force it to its knees economically and isolate it diplomatically.
The U.S. Congress has the power to accomplish much of that. "Congress has already introduced much of the legislation needed to bring the ayatollah to his knees, and committee chairmen need only hold markup hearings to advance these bills and send them to the House and Senate floors," writes Benjamin Baird in the Middle East Forum (MEF).
The legislation all relates to Donald Trump's "Maximum Pressure" campaign on Iran from 2019 that was designed to bring the regime to the table to negotiate a better nuclear deal that would prevent Tehran from enriching any uranium or building any long-range rockets. Trump reimposed the "Maximum Pressure" campaign on Iran in early February after Joe Biden had stupidly relaxed most of the sanctions. It's now up to the U.S. Congress to codify the maximum pressure campaign into law so that future administrations can't roll it back.
The Republican Study Committee introduced a package of Iran sanctions bills targeting the economy, the national security apparatus, and individuals who are directly responsible for oppressing the Iranian citizens. "The committee’s 'Enforcing Maximum Pressure: Holding Iran Accountable' initiative closes sanctions loopholes, liberates Iraq from Iran’s puppet militias, counters censorship of Iranian dissidents, and protects the U.S. and its allies from retaliatory attacks," reports the MEF.
First, this bill locks in President Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions framework, preventing subsequent administrations from reversing or waiving Iran sanctions as part of a nuclear deal. Inconsistent nonproliferation policies spanning multiple American presidential administrations helped set the stage for Iran’s defiance and U.S.-Israeli intervention. It’s time to end America’s bipolar containment strategy.
Second, the Maximum Pressure Act lays out fresh “sectoral sanctions” targeting Iranian steel, construction, mining, financial, and energy exports, along with strict property-blocking sanctions and financial penalties targeting people and entities involved in producing Iran’s ballistic missiles. Nunn’s 138-page bill is the most comprehensive and efficient legislative option for containing Iran’s terrorist regime.
It’s also the most difficult to shepherd through the House and Senate, thanks to the far-reaching scope of this legislation. Therefore, Congress members may have better luck with other commonsense bills found in the RSC’s legislative portfolio.
The most significant legislation for the Iranian people is the Maximum Support Act. The Act prioritizes internet freedom by creating Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), satellite-to-cell technology, and anti-surveillance tools that would be able to bypass much of the regime's censorship. The tools would also help counter the regime's efforts to shut down protests almost before they begin by negating facial recognition and other AI tools.
Next, Congress must get to work dismantling Iran’s proxy army in Iraq. By sanctioning and designating a list of 29 Iran-backed Iraqi militias through Florida Representative Greg Steube’s Iranian Terror Prevention Act, the U.S. can shut down the Popular Mobilization Forces and other Shiite militias that are part of Iraq’s state military structures. This includes groups like the Badr Organization and Kataib Hezbollah, which are part of Iranian-sponsored armed groups responsible for killing hundreds of American service members. Concurrently, South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson’s Free Iraq from Iran Act calls for cutting off funding to Iraq’s government unless “Iran backed puppet militias including the PMF are no longer part of the Ministry of Interior.”
Iraq is well and truly trapped by Iran, and it's doubtful whether much can be done to get Baghdad out from under the Iranian jackboot. The Shiite militias in Iraq controlled by Iran aren't going to be dislodged from power anytime soon, no matter what Congress tries to do. They are woven into the fabric of the Iraqi national security structure, a ready-made Trojan horse loyal to Iran.
Still, the other bills contain enough to bring the clerical fascists in Tehran to their knees. At the very least, the passage of some of those bills will give heart to the Iranian opposition, which has failed to take advantage of the Iranian regime's moment of weakness and has not stepped forward and declared Iran's commitment to freedom.
