The Biden administration has declared new penalties on the Islamic Republic specifically focused on its missile and drone programs.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced announced the sanctions on Tuesday night as part of a joint effort with other allies to block Iran from getting missile and drone technology. The White House stated that other fresh sanctions target Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Defense Ministry.
“These new penalties and other actions will keep pressure on Iran's military capability and effectiveness and address its troublesome behaviors. … We will not hesitate to keep taking action, along with allies and partners worldwide, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government responsible for its harmful and destabilizing actions,” the statement said.
On Thursday, the UK did the same with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement that they have imposed new sanctions against seven of Iran’s top military figures and various Iranian entities. These include the IRGC Navy, high-ranking generals, and officials in the country’s Aerospace Industries Organisation (AIO). As a result, the individuals are subject to a travel ban and asset freeze, while any assets of the sanctioned entities can be frozen.
Earlier Tuesday, a bipartisan coalition of 145 U.S. House members, led by Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), introduced a resolution condemning the Iranian government and supporting a plan to replace the ruling theocracy proposed by the Iranian dissident group called the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The resolution lists numerous human rights violations by the regime, as well as acts of terrorism and murder, including instigating the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel through its proxies and continuing to fuel the conflict.
“Western nations are responsible for holding the Iranian regime accountable for actions that encourage violence, terror, and instability … the Iranian regime has been deeply involved in providing support, both financial and military, to proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Gaza, and elsewhere in the region, as well as globally. … the IRGC has, for over four decades, played a key role in internal suppression, terrorism, and regional proxy wars and has been designated as a terrorist entity by several nations, including the United States,” reads the resolution in part.
It also calls for backing the “Ten-Point Plan for the Future of Iran of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi,” an Iranian dissident politician who leads the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, a major member of the NCRI.
Rajavi’s plan is promoted as the foundation for a new governing document for a future Iran that is no longer a theocracy.
The document vows to keep Iran non-nuclear and implement progressive reforms like “complete gender equality” and “autonomy for and removal of double injustice against Iranian nationalities and ethnicities consistent with the NCRI’s plan for the autonomy of Iranian Kurdistan,” according to the NCRI. It also calls for establishing and safeguarding other rights, including “freedom of speech, freedom of political parties, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and the internet.”
Lawmakers who supported the decision argue that the best way to assist Israel is to fully support the NCRI’s attempts to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
“And we need to stop weakening the Iranian opposition,” stated Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA). told Newsmax. “And just as we need to finally provide assistance to Israel, we also need to provide overdue aid to the Iranian resistance.”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) stated that if the NCRI succeeds in toppling the current government, “Iran will once again be a friend to the United States and a positive force in the Middle East,” according to Newsmax.
The strong opposition to the Islamic Republic in Iran has found support within the Iranian diaspora community in North Texas.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Iranian-American Community of North Texas (IACNT), the regional chapter of the Organization of Iranian American Communities, which supports the NCRI, to give their input on the House resolution.
In a statement, IACNT Chairwoman Homeira Hesami commented:
“This resolution is very important for our community in North Texas because it emphasizes the solution to the threats posed by the Iranian regime to both the region and the Iranian people. This resolution emphasizes the need to empower those who seek change in Iran; it supports the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, which is about a future in Iran without any form of dictatorship of the Shah or the clergy.”
She then mentioned that the plan’s focus on protecting women’s rights is particularly meaningful to her because she was once a political prisoner of the Iranian regime.
Hesami also expressed her pride in Texas, noting that it has the “distinction of having the highest number of bipartisan original co-sponsors for this resolution. Our community’s hard work and dedication are evident in this achievement, and we are equally proud that our cause has resonated with both our Republican and Democratic members of the House from Texas.”
