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President Joe Biden made the case in his State of the Union address why the United States must continue to take steps to deter Iranian aggression. His words come at a critical time for national security. In late January, Iranian-backed militants killed three American service members and injured dozens more in an attack in Jordan.
As Iran and its partners continue to test America’s strength and resolve, we must confront their aggression in ways that protect our interests, combat terrorism, and prevent further escalation in the Middle East. Tightening sanctions against Iran, including the use of military force, is absolutely essential to countering this growing danger.
Iran’s dangerous reach extends throughout the Middle East. Its Hezbollah proxy looms large on Israel’s northern border, while Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq have launched more than 170 attacks against U.S. forces and allies in the past few months. .
Anxiety grows as Iran inches closer to potential nuclear weapons capability as regional tensions rise
Iran provides supplies and direct support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Houthis have used Iranian missiles to attack U.S. military personnel and international shipping in the Red Sea region. The Iranian-backed Houthi regime rules the region with repressive brutality, including recently sentencing more than a dozen people to death because of their sexual orientation.
An Iranian military truck carrying a surface-to-air missile passes in front of a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei during the annual Army Day parade in Tehran on April 18, 2018. (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran also has strong ties to Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis in a horrific terrorist attack on October 7th. Meanwhile, Iran continued its nuclear program and Russia sent hundreds of ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine. We should take a strategic and targeted response, but there are moral doubts about the Iranian regime’s unrestricted support for the most violent, brutal and repressive actor on the world stage. must not.
The Biden administration has used military force in a measured and targeted manner when Americans are attacked, and has rightfully fought back against Iranian-backed militias and the Houthi rebels. These strategically deployed retaliatory strikes are an important means of defending our nation’s interests and protecting U.S. vessels and personnel.
The same goes for our ongoing work with allies to thwart attacks from the Houthis and others. By not letting these attacks go unchecked, we demonstrate our country’s strong stand against terrorism and aggression and deter Iranian actions that could lead to broader war.
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In addition to the use of force, we can also target and restrain the Iranian regime through strong sanctions enforcement. This will require tougher sanctions that deprive Iran of billions of dollars in oil revenue that is used to fund terrorist networks.
In particular, we need to use more and better tools to track ships that evade sanctions by carrying Iranian oil and to ensure that our partners in the region have rapid access to this critical information. there is. The bipartisan bill I introduced would make it easier to track ships carrying Iranian oil and share more information with regional partners to quickly track Iranian oil stored on ships in ports. Being able to seize and seize helps address this challenge.
I will also introduce bipartisan legislation that would impose sanctions on bad actors who seek to obstruct our enforcement efforts by illegally purchasing oil from Iran, providing a source of revenue for the administration and using that revenue to fund terrorist proxies. It is used as.
If members of both parties in Congress are serious about standing up to Iran, they should take up and pass both bills that strengthen sanctions against Iran and send them to the president’s desk as soon as possible.
In addition to the use of force, we can also target and restrain the Iranian regime through strong sanctions enforcement. This will require tougher sanctions that deprive Iran of billions of dollars in oil revenue that is used to fund terrorist networks.
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And in addition to Congressional action, the Biden administration and private companies need to commit more investigative resources to catching sanctions evaders. There’s no reason to delay. Every dollar of revenue we can withhold from Iran means Iran has less to spend on developing its nuclear program or supporting terrorists attacking American troops.
The United States must remain vigilant about the danger posed by Iran and demonstrate that it will not budge in the face of Iranian aggression. Through the targeted use of military force and the enforcement of strong sanctions, we can limit Iran’s ability to target military personnel and demonstrate that Americans will always stand strong in the fight against terrorism.
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