Request from American Legislators: 'Effective Implementation' of Sanctions Against the Islamic Republic

A number of American legislators from both the Democratic and Republican parties have requested in a letter to the U.S. Department of State the use of all available tools to enforce sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly regarding oil exports to China. This letter, initiated by Adam Schiff, a senior Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, references the Islamic Republic's history of malign activities in the region and beyond, and outlines a range of sanctions including blocking the Islamic Republic's assets in the United States, prohibiting American trade with Iran, and banning arms sales to the country. However, the signatories of the letter emphasized that without the full implementation of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, oil sales will remain their main source of income. Legislators state that U.S. law also allows for sanctions targeting Iran's energy sector, including against foreign companies participating in the purchase, sale, or transportation of the country’s oil. Iran currently produces 3.2 million barrels of oil per day, the highest level since 2018, and exports about 1.5 million barrels per day to 17 countries worldwide. The letter notes that the Islamic Republic also exports small oil shipments to Syria, Bangladesh, and Oman, and is believed to sell most of its crude oil to China, which does not recognize U.S. sanctions. The American legislators wrote in their letter to the U.S. Department of State: 'In the first quarter of 2024, nearly all of Iran's oil exports went to China.' They have urged the Department of State to prioritize efforts to identify tools through which the Islamic Republic can export its petroleum products and then use all available tools against individuals and companies involved in these transactions. The lawmakers assert that existing sanctions must be enforced more effectively to quickly halt the Islamic Republic's attempts to circumvent trade restrictions. They emphasized that otherwise, the Islamic Republic will continue to use its oil revenues to materially support terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Mike Lawler, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives; Jared Moskowitz, a Republican representative from Florida; Claudia Tenney, a Republican representative from New York; and Young Kim, a Republican representative from California, are among the other signatories of this letter. The publication of this letter comes as a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State stated on Thursday, September 22, to the Persian section of Voice of America that the Biden administration remains committed to the 'strict' enforcement of sanctions imposed against the Iranian government. Two months prior, the U.S. Department of State sanctioned three Emirati companies in response to the Islamic Republic's actions to develop its nuclear program and statements from its officials regarding a possible change in 'nuclear doctrine' for their involvement in the transportation of Iranian oil and petrochemical products. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Treasury Department also sanctioned four individuals, including two captains, two ships, and four companies in various countries for allegedly assisting the Houthis, the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Hezbollah in the illegal trade and transport of oil and other goods.