In the News
Jewish Insider: Lawler, Cherfilus-McCormick introduce new Iran sanctions legislation
By Marc Rod,
February 21, 2025
Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), the chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and North Africa subcommittee, introduced legislation this week that would place sanctions on additional parties involved in Iran’s petrochemical trade, some of which were not targeted in previous sanctions legislation. The bill, the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act, follows two Iran oil sanctions bills that Lawler led in the previous Congress, which passed into law last year. The backing of Lawler and Cherfilus-McCormick, who hold key positions on the Foreign Affairs Committee, suggests that the bill could receive serious bipartisan momentum. The legislation imposes sanctions on those involved in the export, sale or processing of Iranian petrochemical products, including banks and financial institutions, insurance providers, ship-flagging registries, pipeline builders or operators of processing facilities; any or all subsidiaries, successors and aliases of such entities; owners or majority shareholders of such entities; corporate officers of such entities; and family members of individuals involved in such activity. “Our regional partners and allies in the Middle East are counting on us to stop Iran before it’s too late,” Lawler said in a statement. “The new sanctions imposed in the Iran Enhanced Sanctions Act will give us a broader ability to quash Iran’s illicit oil trade for good.” The sanctions would also apply to anyone who conducts a “significant transaction with, for, or on behalf of” anyone covered by sanctions put in place in the SHIP Act, one of Lawler’s oil sanctions bills in the previous Congress. Anyone who violates or attempts to violate the sanctions would be subject to U.S. prosecution. “We must take all necessary measures to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and to halt its support for terrorism,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation will tighten sanctions on Iranian oil — a crucial source of revenue for the regime — enhancing the security of the United States and our regional allies, including Israel.” The legislation also requires the administration to establish an interagency working group on Iran sanctions under the supervision of the Department of State, with representatives from State, the Treasury and the Department of Justice, and other agencies as appropriate. It also instructs the State Department to establish an international contact group with foreign partners to coordinate multilateral Iran sanctions and share information. And it creates a reward program for those who report sanctions evasion or attempted sanctions evasion. It further states that it is U.S. policy to fully enforce sanctions against all parties involved at all stages of the Iranian energy trade. The bill includes a handful of exemptions and carveouts, as well as provides presidential waiver authority for the sanctions. “Iran’s continued exploitation of weak spots in the global sanctions framework is a direct threat to global stability, and we can no longer stand by while Tehran collects more money to fund terror in the Middle East,” Lawler added. “We must shut down the revenue streams that fuel Iran’s dangerous activities and hold those who support Iran’s illicit oil trade accountable. |