Proposal by Two American Legislators to Sanction Companies Linked to the IRGC

Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Eliot Engel, senior Democratic member of the committee, presented a proposal on Thursday, March 1, targeting companies affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for sanctions. According to the House Foreign Affairs Committee's website, this proposal would allow the U.S. government to sanction companies in which the IRGC holds less than 50% of the shares, thereby increasing the cost of any potential business relations with the IRGC. Ed Royce stated regarding this proposal: 'The IRGC is the most important player in the Iranian economy, financing terrorism and Iran's ballistic missile program. Hundreds of front companies (of the IRGC) must be sanctioned.' He added that this proposal, supported by both major parties in the U.S., addresses the existing gap in this regard and cuts off the cash flow to the terrorist group that has blood on its hands from hundreds of Americans and many Syrians. Eliot Engel also emphasized that the IRGC is a key factor in Iran's dangerous presence in Syria, collaborating with (Vladimir) Putin and the criminal Assad regime, which has killed nearly 500,000 Syrian citizens. This Democratic representative added that this proposal reduces the influence of hardliners without affecting U.S. commitments under the nuclear agreement. The proposal, supported by these two members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is called the 'Law to Remove the IRGC from the Iranian Economy.' If enacted, it would require the U.S. government to prepare a comprehensive report on state-owned companies facilitating terrorism and the extent of the IRGC's influence in the Iranian economy. Another part of this proposal also obligates the U.S. government to prevent Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization as long as it supports terrorism. This proposal must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed by the President. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, allowed the Treasury Department to add the IRGC to its sanctions list as part of his new strategy toward Iran earlier this year. Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah are the three main allies of Bashar al-Assad's regime in the Syrian civil war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. Bashar al-Assad previously stated that the support of Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia in the civil war has created the political, economic, and military groundwork for further victories for the government forces. The U.S. has already placed individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah on its sanctions list in an effort to reduce Iran's influence in the Middle East. Some reports indicate that Iran sends approximately $700 million annually in financial aid to Hezbollah. The U.S. has designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997. The Israeli army has also previously stated that seven thousand out of twenty-two thousand Hezbollah militants fought for the survival of Bashar al-Assad's regime during the four years of the nearly seven-year-long civil war, suffering two thousand casualties. However, Iran has repeatedly described its military presence in Syria as 'advisory.' Nonetheless, Mohammad Ali Shahidi, head of the Martyrs Foundation, announced in March 2017 that the number of those killed, known as 'Defenders of the Shrine' in Syria, was 2,100. Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the UN, previously stated: 'The role of Iran and Russia in Assad's crimes cannot be ignored.' Former President Barack Obama also held Iran and Russia responsible for the massacre of civilians in Aleppo.