Download Locations

• U.S. Department of State

Summary

According to the Administration's "National Security Strategy" document released on March 16, 2006, the United States "may face no greater challenge from a single country than Iran." That perception continues, generated primarily by Iran's nuclear program and intensified by Iran's military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan and to Lebanese Hezbollah. In part to direct regional attention to that view but also to engage Iran on an Iraq solution, the Administration attended regional conferences on Iraq on March 10, 2007, and May 3-4, 2007, both attended by Iran (and Syria), and subsequently has held a series of bilateral meetings with Iran in Baghdad. The Bush Administration is pursuing several approaches to attempt to contain the potential threat posed by Iran, but the U.S. emphasis now is to strengthen international economic sanctions on Iran to compel Iran to comply with the U.N. Security Council deadlines since August 2006 that have demanded it cease uranium enrichment. Two U.N. resolutions (1737 and 1747) ban weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-related trade with Iran, freeze the assets of Iran's nuclear and related entities and personalities, prevent Iran from transferring arms outside Iran, and require reporting on international travel by named Iranians. With Iran still refusing to comply on enrichment but offering to reveal to the International Atomic Energy Agency additional information on its nuclear program, further steps are under discussion at the U.N. Security Council, although some Security Council members want to await the results of additional diplomacy before extending sanctions to civilian trade issues. Separate U.S. efforts, showing some success, have included trying to persuade European governments to curb trade, investment, and credits to Iran; and pressuring foreign banks not to do business with Iran. To strengthen its diplomacy, the Administration has added components to efforts to contain Iran, including a consistent large naval presence in the Persian Gulf and arrests of Iranian agents in Iraq. The Administration strongly denies it is planning on military action against Iran, but has refused to rule it out. Some legislation passed in the 110th Congress, including H.R. 140 and H.R. 957, would increase U.S. sanctions on Iran -- both the U.S. trade ban and the Iran Sanctions Act that seeks to prevent foreign investment in Iran's energy sector. Both H.R. 1400 and a Senate amendment to the FY2008 defense authorization bill (H.R. 1585) recommend that the Administration name Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization. Other legislation, such as H.R. 1357, H.R. 2347, and S. 1430, would promote divestment of companies that do business with Iran. Some in the Administration believe that only a change of Iran's regime would end the threat posed by Iran, although without specifying a clear means of achieving such a result. For further information, see CRS Report RS20871, The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), and CRS Report RS22323, Iran's Influence in Iraq, both by Kenneth Katzman, and CRS Report RS21592, Iran's Nuclear Program: Recent Developments. This report is updated regularly.

Related Legislation:
• H.R.140
• H.R.957
• H.R.1400
• H.R.1585
• H.R.1357
• H.R.2347
• S.1430
• S.2087
• S.2232
• S.2159

Related Reports:
• RL32048
• RL32048
• RL32048

XML