Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Proposes New Sanctions Against Iran

Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is introducing a new proposal that includes sanctions against individuals and entities in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), related to ballistic missile programs and cyber sabotage. This senior U.S. senator's new plan also aims to revive the "Iran Sanctions Act" (ISA) until 2026, which encompasses a range of commercial, banking, energy, and defense sanctions. The nuclear sanctions related to Iran were lifted following the nuclear agreement with the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but the United States still enforces sanctions regarding the missile program, "state-sponsored terrorism," and human rights violations against Iranian individuals and entities. According to information on Senator Corker's website, this proposal could also prevent Iranian financial institutions from accessing transactions in U.S. dollars in third countries. It also requests the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, and National Intelligence to provide a report every two years on a ten-year joint strategy against Iran's activities in the Middle East and North Africa. The new proposal also includes arms sanctions and prevents the transfer and trade of prohibited weapons to and from Iran. Although this proposal is considered bipartisan, currently only two Democratic senators support it, both of whom are critics of the nuclear agreement with Iran: Senator Bob Menendez and Senator Joe Manchin. Corker has expressed hope that in the coming months, this proposal will be approved by members of Congress "from both parties." However, U.S. media reports indicate that achieving bipartisan consensus on a political proposal that is among the distinctions of the two parties is not easy, especially during election times, such as the upcoming presidential election. Corker himself has confirmed in an interview with the Washington Post that achieving bipartisan consensus in the coming months will not be easy. Hillary Clinton, a potential Democratic candidate, supports the nuclear agreement, while Donald Trump, a potential Republican candidate, has stated that if he reaches the White House, he will disregard this agreement. Corker has also told the Washington Post that the aim of this proposal is to create obstacles for the President so that he cannot use temporary waivers and reach an international agreement without congressional approval. Senator Menendez, a Democratic senator who supports this proposal, has stated that the government prefers Congress not to speak or act regarding sanctions. Senator Corker has emphasized that he and his supporters are "carefully" trying to ensure that "no language or terminology is used that relates to the JCPOA," as in that case, "the government will say we want to disregard the nuclear agreement." Barack Obama has repeatedly emphasized that any congressional proposal that harms the nuclear agreement and its implementation will be vetoed. A year ago, Iran, the U.S., and five other global powers, along with the senior representative of the European Union, reached an agreement to implement a program that limits Iran's nuclear activities on one hand while lifting nuclear sanctions on the other. However, this agreement has opponents both in the U.S. and among a group of hardliners in Iran. Additionally, Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has criticized the way the U.S. has implemented it on several occasions. The U.S. government claims it is committed to this agreement and its implementation. Alongside this, Iran has emphasized that it will continue its missile tests. In the Security Council resolution issued following the nuclear agreement, Iran was requested to refrain from activities related to ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear weapons, including launching missiles made using ballistic missile technology, for an eight-year period during which missile sanctions are in effect. Tehran claims that its missile tests do not conflict with the nuclear agreement and that it will continue to develop its missile program. In addition to the U.S. Senate, Republican representatives in the House of Representatives have also introduced three new proposals related to Iran, which the White House has stated the President will veto if they are approved and presented.