U.S. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Joe Wilson (R-SC) introduced a bill that seeks to limit Iran’s influence in the Middle East.
The Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act of 2021 (H.R. 857) requires the United States to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the transfer of conventional weapons to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The lawmakers said that Iran’s conventional arms trade threatens the national security of the United States and its allies and partners in the region, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, among others.
“While there may be a legitimate disagreement on the best way to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, one thing we can all agree on is that countries like Russia and China should not be selling weapons to the world’s top exporter of terrorism,” Bacon said. “For decades, there has been a strong bipartisan consensus on the need to restrict the transfer of conventional arms to and from Iran. Unfortunately, the United Nations Security Council lifted these restrictions last year.”
The 2015 United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) that affirmed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iranian Nuclear Deal, rescinded two previous UNSCR resolutions that blocked conventional arms transactions by Iran. These measures lapsed in October 2020. effectively lifting the international arms embargo on Iran for the first time since 2007.
“The Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act is an important step in improving national security. I am grateful to introduce this important legislation with Congressman Don Bacon that prevents conventional weapons from getting into the hands of mass murder terrorists,” said Wilson, ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism.
Bacon and Wilson are both members of the House Armed Services Committee. They are also members of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus dedicated to promoting a legislative agenda that will limit government, strengthen national defense, boost the economy, and balance the budget.
“The Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act is common sense legislation that restores these long-standing restrictions by imposing costs on entities and individuals who facilitate the sale or transfer of weapons to the Iranian regime,” Bacon said. “Passing this bill is a necessary and prudent action until Iran abandons its policies of regional aggression and support for international terrorism.”