119-sres43

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 43 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 43

Affirming the threats to world stability from a nuclear weapons-capable 
 Islamic Republic of Iran.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 29, 2025

 Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Fetterman, and Mrs. Britt) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
 Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Affirming the threats to world stability from a nuclear weapons-capable 
 Islamic Republic of Iran.

Whereas numerous officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have repeatedly made 
 statements against the United States, Israel, and their allies and 
 partners, including--

    (1) the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali 
Khamenei, who stated--

 G
        (A) ``As long as America continues its wickedness, interference, 
and savagery, the Iranian nation will not abandon `Death to America'.'';

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        (B) ``The Zionist regime is a deadly, cancerous growth and a 
detriment to this region. It will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed'';

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            (C) ``We will definitely do everything necessary to prepare the 
Iranian nation for confronting the Arrogant Powers, whether militarily, in 
terms of armament, or politically. Our officials are already working on 
this''; and

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            (D) ``The United States of America and the Zionist regime will 
definitely receive a crushing response for what they do against Iran and 
the Resistance Front'';

    (2) an adviser to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 
Kamal Kharrazi, who stated, ``We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb 
but should Iran's existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to 
change our military doctrine''; and

    (3) former foreign ministry spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of 
Iran, Nasser Kanani, who stated, ``This action of the three European 
countries [France, Germany and the United Kingdom] is the continuation of 
the hostile policy of the West and economic terrorism against the people of 
Iran, which will face the appropriate and proportionate action of the 
Islamic Republic of Iran'';

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran is directly responsible for the death and 
 injury of United States servicemembers, including--

    (1) between 2005 and 2011, when the Quds Force, a branch of Iran's 
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, provided explosively formed penetrators 
to Iranian-backed fighters in Iraq and killed 195 United States troops and 
wounded nearly another 900 United States troops;

    (2) since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, where Iranian-backed 
proxies have attacked United States troops in the region more than 170 
times; and

    (3) on January 28, 2024, when an Iranian-backed proxy launched a drone 
that killed 3 United States troops and wounded nearly another 40 United 
States troops stationed at Tower 22 in Jordan;

Whereas the United States Government has reported--

    (1) ``Iran's annual financial backing to Hizballah--which in recent 
years has been estimated at $700 million--accounts for the overwhelming 
majority of [Hizballah's] annual budget'';

    (2) ``Hamas has received funding, weapons, and training from Iran''; 
and

    (3) ``Iran also provides up to $100 million annually in combined 
support to Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas'';

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran's support to the Houthis, including through 
 the provision of ballistic and cruise missiles and unmanned weapons 
 systems, has allowed the Houthis to carry out attacks against United 
 States partners;
Whereas, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has 
 engaged in acts of international terrorism and continuously threatened 
 the United States, Israel, and their partners and allies;
Whereas, on January 19, 1984, the United States designated the Islamic Republic 
 of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism for repeatedly providing support 
 for acts of international terrorism;
Whereas, on April 11, 2006, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had 
 enriched uranium for the first time to a level close to 3.5 percent at 
 the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz, Iran;
Whereas, on December 23, 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted 
 Resolution 1737

    (2006) , which imposed sanctions with respect to the 
 Islamic Republic of Iran for its failure to suspend enrichment 
 activities;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council subsequently adopted Resolutions 
 1747

    (2007) , 1803

    (2008) , and 1929

    (2010) , all of which targeted the 
 nuclear program of, and imposed additional sanctions with respect to, 
 the Islamic Republic of Iran;
Whereas, on February 3, 2009, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had 
 launched its first satellite, which raised concern over the 
 applicability of the satellite to the ballistic missile program;
Whereas, in September 2009, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France 
 revealed the existence of the clandestine Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant 
 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, years after construction started on the 
 plant;
Whereas, on January 28, 2017, the Islamic Republic of Iran conducted a test of a 
 medium-range ballistic missile, which traveled an estimated 600 miles 
 and provides the Islamic Republic of Iran the capability to threaten 
 United States military installations in the Middle East;
Whereas, in 2018, Israel seized a significant portion of the nuclear archive of 
 the Islamic Republic of Iran, which contained tens of thousands of files 
 and compact discs relating to past efforts at nuclear weapon design, 
 development, and manufacturing by the Islamic Republic of Iran;
Whereas, on September 27, 2018, Israel revealed the existence of a secret 
 warehouse housing radioactive material in the Turquz Abad district in 
 Tehran, and an inspection of the warehouse by the International Atomic 
 Energy Agency (referred to in this preamble as the ``IAEA'') detected 
 radioactive particles, which the Government of Iran failed to adequately 
 explain;
Whereas, on June 19, 2020, the IAEA adopted Resolution GOV/2020/34, which 
 expressed ``serious concern . . . that Iran has not provided access to 
 the Agency under the Additional Protocol to two locations'';
Whereas, on April 17, 2021, the IAEA verified that the Islamic Republic of Iran 
 had begun to enrich uranium to 60 percent purity;
Whereas, on August 14, 2021, the former President of the Islamic Republic of 
 Iran, Hassan Rouhani, stated, ``Iran's Atomic Energy Organization can 
 enrich uranium by 20 percent and 60 percent and if . . . our reactors 
 need it, it can enrich uranium to 90 percent purity'';
Whereas, on April 17, 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed the 
 relocation of a production facility for advanced centrifuges from an 
 aboveground facility at Karaj, Iran, to the fortified underground Natanz 
 Enrichment Complex;
Whereas, on April 19, 2022, the Department of State released a report stating 
 there are ``serious concerns'' about ``possible undeclared nuclear 
 material and activities in Iran'';
Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran 
 had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 kilograms (95.5 pounds) of 60 percent 
 highly enriched uranium, roughly enough material for a nuclear weapon;
Whereas, on June 8, 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran turned off surveillance 
 cameras installed by the IAEA to monitor uranium enrichment activities 
 at nuclear sites in the country;
Whereas, on July 14, 2022, in The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership 
 Joint Declaration, which was signed between President Biden and Israel, 
 the United States stressed its commitment ``never to allow Iran to 
 acquire a nuclear weapon, and that [the United States] is prepared to 
 use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome'';
Whereas, on July 27, 2022, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, 
 Mohammad Eslami, announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran is building 
 a new nuclear reactor at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, which 
 will be one of the largest nuclear facilities in Iran;
Whereas, on December 2, 2022, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi 
 stated, ``Iran informed us they were tripling . . . their capacity to 
 enrich uranium at 60 percent, which is very close to military level, 
 which is 90 percent'';
Whereas, on January 25, 2023, Director General Grossi stated, ``One thing is 
 true: [the Islamic Republic of Iran has] amassed enough nuclear material 
 for several nuclear weapons'';
Whereas, on February 27, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of 
 Iran had enriched uranium to 83.7 percent, which is just short of the 90 
 percent threshold for weapons-grade fissile material;
Whereas, on September 4, 2023, an IAEA report estimated the total uranium 
 stockpile of the Islamic Republic of Iran to be 3795.5 kilograms 
 (8367.65 pounds) and that the Islamic Republic of Iran has enough 
 fissile material, that if further enriched, would be sufficient to 
 produce several nuclear weapons;
Whereas, on October 18, 2023, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231

    (2015) lapsed and many proliferation-related penalties and restrictions 
 were lifted, allowing the Islamic Republic of Iran to test or transfer 
 ballistic missiles, which may contribute to the further development of a 
 nuclear weapon delivery system;
Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the Governments of the United States, France, 
 Germany, and the United Kingdom jointly declared, ``The production of 
 high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification. 
 These decisions demonstrate Iran's lack of good will towards de-
 escalation and represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context . 
 . . Iran must fully cooperate with the IAEA to enable it to provide 
 assurances that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.'';
Whereas, on February 27, 2024, a spokesperson for the Department of State 
 stated, ``We remain seriously concerned about Iran's continued expansion 
 of its nuclear program in ways that have no credible civilian purpose, 
 including its continued production of highly enriched uranium'';
Whereas, on June 3, 2024, Director General Grossi stated, ``Many countries have 
 said if Iran gets nuclear weapons, they will do the same. Adding nuclear 
 weapons to the cauldron of the Middle East is a very bad idea.'';
Whereas, on June 5, 2024, by a vote of 20 to 2, the United States joined other 
 nations in formally censuring the Islamic Republic of Iran for advances 
 in their nuclear program and failure to cooperate with the IAEA;
Whereas, on June 18, 2024, it was reported that intelligence agencies of the 
 United States and Israel were looking into information that the Islamic 
 Republic of Iran may have developed a computer model that could be used 
 for research and development of nuclear weapons;
Whereas, on July 23, 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 
 published an assessment, in accordance with Iran Nuclear Weapons 
 Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 (22 U.S.C. 8701 note; 
 Public Law 117-263), which stated, ``Iran continues to increase the size 
 of its uranium stockpile, increase its enrichment capacity, and develop, 
 manufacture, and operate advanced centrifuges. Tehran has the 
 infrastructure and experience to quickly produce weapons-grade uranium, 
 at multiple facilities'';
Whereas, on November 28, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran informed the IAEA 
 that it planned to start enriching uranium with thousands of advanced 
 centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz plants, while also installing more 
 uranium-enriching centrifuges at those locations;
Whereas, on December 5, 2024, the Office of the Director of National 
 Intelligence published another assessment, in accordance with Iran 
 Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 (22 
 U.S.C. 8701 note; Public Law 117-263), which stated--

    (1) ``Iran's 20-percent and 60-percent enriched uranium stockpiles are 
far greater than needed for what it claims it will use the uranium for and 
Iran could produce more than a dozen nuclear weapons if its total uranium 
stockpile were further enriched''; and

    (2) ``Iran probably will consider installing or operating more advanced 
centrifuges, further increasing its enriched uranium stockpile, enriching 
uranium up to 90 percent, or threatening to withdraw from the Treaty on the 
Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons''; and

 Whereas, on December 9, 2024, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom released 
 a joint statement that--

    (1) condemns ``Iran's latest steps . . . to expand its nuclear 
programme to significantly increase the rate of production of uranium 
enriched up to 60 percent'';

    (2) expresses extreme concern ``to learn that Iran has increased the 
number of centrifuges in use and started preparations to install additional 
enrichment infrastructure''; and

    (3) ``strongly urge[s] Iran to reverse these steps, and to immediately 
halt its nuclear escalation'': Now, therefore, be it

 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) affirms that the Islamic Republic of Iran's continued 
 pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability is--
        (A) a credible threat to the United States; and
        (B) an existential threat to Israel and other 
 allies and partners in the Middle East;

    (2) asserts all options should be considered to address the 
 nuclear threat the Islamic Republic of Iran poses to the United 
 States, Israel, and our allies and partners;

    (3) demands the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately 
 cease engaging in any and all activities that threaten the 
 national security interests of the United States, Israel, and 
 our allies and partners, including--
        (A) enriching uranium;
        (B) developing or possessing delivery vehicles 
 capable of carrying nuclear warheads; and
            (C) developing or possessing a nuclear warhead.

SECTION 1. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

 Nothing in this resolution may be construed to authorize the use of 
military force or the introduction of United States Armed Forces into 
hostilities.
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