Senate Hearing on 'Iran's Proxy Networks': Emphasis on the Need for 'Serious' Sanction Enforcement

On Wednesday, March 1, a hearing titled 'Tehran's Secret Army: Iran's Proxy Networks in the Middle East' was held in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Many members of the committee emphasized the need for 'serious' enforcement of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Brian Hook, the former special envoy for Iran under the Trump administration, and Suzanne Maloney, deputy and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, answered questions from senators during the session. Hook stressed the importance of limiting the oil revenue used by the Islamic Republic to finance its proxy groups in the region and also highlighted the return to the 'maximum pressure' policy. He noted that during Donald Trump's presidency, severe oil sanctions were imposed, reducing Iran's oil exports by up to eighty percent. He referenced statements by Hassan Rouhani, the then-President of the Islamic Republic, who said that sanctions had cost them over $200 billion. Hook added that during that period, the Islamic Republic's defense budget, which had reached its highest point during the JCPOA, decreased by 28%, affecting proxy groups, including Hezbollah. Hook also referred to the killing of Qassem Soleimani as the 'most dangerous terrorist' who planned attacks on American forces. He stated that the current U.S. administration has shown that diplomatic levers can quickly disappear and criticized the Biden administration for not properly enforcing sanctions. Hook added that a large portion of the American public believes that Mr. Biden has not been decisive enough against the Islamic Republic. He pointed out that U.S. forces have been attacked over 165 times since last fall, but the U.S. has only responded 11 times, stating, 'This imbalance is unacceptable.' Democratic Senator Chris Murphy reacted to part of Hook's statements, noting that when Trump took office, the Islamic Republic was one year away from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but by the end of Trump's presidency, that gap had reduced to one month. He also mentioned that the $700 million that was sent to Hezbollah before Trump was not cut off, and the Islamic Republic's proxy groups were not weakened. Senator Murphy added that Mike Pompeo, Trump's Secretary of State, had to close the U.S. embassy in Baghdad due to increased attacks, and the global coalition against the Islamic Republic had also fallen apart. Hook responded that the Trump administration extended the expiration date of the JCPOA and stated that violence had escalated during the JCPOA period. He said the Islamic Republic was enriching uranium, and the nuclear agreement had facilitated this. Hook also stated that the Trump administration never claimed to have solved the proxy problem, but the conditions had become such that Hezbollah had weakened and become 'begging' due to severe U.S. sanctions. He emphasized that 'crippling sanctions' are better for containing the Islamic Republic regime. He said that Iranian officials would continue the 'cat and mouse game' as long as they could. Hook declared that 'negotiations are dead,' and leaving the doors open for negotiations prevents the implementation of severe oil sanctions and the financing of the Islamic Republic's proxy groups. In another part of his remarks, Hook referred to Soleimani's oversight of a 'vast network' of fighters in Syria. He stated that the U.S. military could play a more prominent role in driving out the proxies in Syria and Iraq. The Trump administration's special envoy on Iran called for not showing weakness and 'unjustified concessions' to countries leading in terrorism and stated that the Biden administration should implement the maximum pressure campaign. He also mentioned that if the Trump administration had more time, it could have created an environment for reaching a better agreement than the JCPOA. He noted that during Trump's presidency, U.S. Sunni partners and Israelis were organized against the threats from the Iranian regime and called for the continuation of this policy. Hook added that 95% of Hamas's funding comes from Iran and stated that the U.S. government must act 'seriously' in enforcing oil, banking, petrochemical, and metal sanctions and restore deterrence against the Islamic Republic through economic maximum pressure and political isolation. Hook emphasized the importance of economic leverage and stated that an 'economic crisis' must be created for the Iranian regime. He also called for more pressure on China, which is the largest buyer of Iranian oil. Many members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee referenced the threats from the Islamic Republic against Brian Hook during this hearing. Republican Senator James Risch thanked Hook for his service as the special envoy for Iran, stating, 'It is shocking and shameful that the Islamic Republic has made threats against you and your family.' Republican Senator Ted Cruz also criticized the Biden administration for attempting to continue the threats from the Islamic Republic, as it might hinder appeasement policies. Hook thanked the Senate and the Foreign Relations Committee for providing protection for his family by the State Department's diplomatic security. Suzanne Maloney, deputy and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, who was another expert present at the hearing and is not entirely in favor of the maximum pressure campaign, responded to Hook's remarks by stating that although Trump exited the JCPOA, he did not have a replacement or new plan. Maloney said that while the Trump administration's maximum pressure policy against the Iranian regime had many positive impacts, it also missed the opportunity to strengthen the nuclear agreement, and all leverage against Iran's nuclear program was lost. In another part of her remarks, she stated that the Islamic Republic, by utilizing its proxy groups, employs the property of 'deniability' to advance its goals. She stated that the goal of the Islamic Republic is to drive the U.S. out of the region and added that they have adapted to changing conditions and intensified their attacks since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. Maloney stated that the destructive and 'aggressive' role of the Iranian regime has become more apparent and that this issue should continue to be highlighted. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez asked whether, if funding and missile provision from the Islamic Republic were cut off and the Islamic Republic's strategic support ceased, the proxy groups would also cease to exist or would not have their current capabilities. He stated that if this is the case, and according to Dr. Maloney, the Biden administration's engagement policy is ineffective, the issue of funding becomes significant, and if the Islamic Republic is deprived of its oil revenues, this will have domestic consequences. Senator Menendez emphasized that financial resources contribute to advancing the Islamic Republic's destructive activities. He added that China seems satisfied with the ongoing conflicts in the world and is using them to its advantage. This Democratic senator stated that the U.S. must unite its allies in implementing 'multilateral' sanctions so that these sanctions, including against China, are intensified and enforced, as the Islamic Republic receives significant funds from China. The Hamas militants, supported by the Islamic Republic and their allies, killed over 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in a terrorist attack on southern Israeli cities on October 7. Most of the dead and hostages were civilians. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have classified the Palestinian group Hamas as a terrorist organization. The terrorist attack by Hamas led to an aggressive Israeli response in Gaza aimed at rescuing the remaining hostages and destroying this militant group. Health officials in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, claim that nearly 30,000 people have been killed during Israeli military attacks on Gaza. Following the deadly attack by Iranian-backed militants on a base hosting U.S. forces in Jordan, the U.S. carried out retaliatory attacks against Iranian proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Saeed Qasemi-Nejad: The possibility of continuing maximum pressure under the Trump administration exists, but military action does not. The continuation of the Islamic Republic's threats; the U.S. extended the order to protect Pompeo and Hook. Exclusive; Mike Gallagher: The Biden administration should not warn enemies before taking action. McConnell: Stopping attacks on American soldiers requires a direct threat to the interests of the Islamic Republic and IRGC officers.