IIA 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. J. RES. 106 

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic 

Republic of Iran for threatening the national security of the United 

States through the development of nuclear weapons. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2024 

Mr. GRAHAM introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against 

the Islamic Republic of Iran for threatening the national 

security of the United States through the development 

of nuclear weapons. 

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 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 


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to a level close to 3.5 percent at the Natanz Pilot Fuel 

Enrichment Plant, 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 military installations of the United States 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, developVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:43 Aug 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SJ106.IS SJ106

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ment, 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 (IAEA) detected radioactive particles, which the 

Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to adequately explain; 

Whereas, on June 19, 2020, the IAEA adopted Resolution 

GOV/2020/34 expressing ‘‘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, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani stated that ‘‘Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization can enrich uranium by 20 percent and 60 percent and if one day 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 that there are ‘‘serious concerns’’ 

about ‘‘possible undeclared nuclear material and activities 

in Iran’’; 


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Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 

kilograms, equivalent to 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, in the July 14, 2022, joint declaration entitled 

‘‘The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint 

Declaration’’, the United States stressed its commitment 

‘‘never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and 

that it is prepared to use all elements of its national 

power to ensure that outcome’’; 

Whereas, on July 22, 2022, Director General of the IAEA, 

Rafael Grossi, stated that the IAEA had ‘‘very limited 

visibility’’ into the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is ‘‘galloping ahead’’; 

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, one of 

the largest nuclear facilities in the country; 

Whereas, on September 7, 2022, the IAEA reported that the 

stock of 60 percent-enriched uranium of the Islamic Republic of Iran had increased to an estimated 55.6 kilograms, equivalent to 122.58 pounds, which is an amount 

that if enriched further could be sufficient enough to 

produce a nuclear bomb; 


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Whereas, on December 2, 2022, Director General Grossi stated ‘‘Iran informed us they were tripling, not doubling, 

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: They [the Islamic Republic of 

Iran] have 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, equivalent to 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, 

meaning the Islamic Republic of Iran is legally permitted 

to test or transfer ballistic missiles, which may contribute 

to the further development of a nuclear weapon delivery 

system; 

Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the quarterly report published by the IAEA on the uranium enrichment program 

of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that due to the 

amount of stockpiled enriched uranium and centrifuge 

capacity, the Islamic Republic of Iran could produce its 


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first quantity of 25 kilograms, equivalent to 55.11 

pounds, of weapons grade uranium in as little as 7 days; 

Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the governments of the 

United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom released a joint statement in response to the report 

by the IAEA, which stated, ‘‘The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification [and 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 March 4, 2024, Director General Grossi stated 

‘‘Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60%. The agency 

has lost continuity of knowledge about the [Islamic Republic of Iran’s] production and inventory of centrifuges, 

rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate’’; 

Whereas, on April 23, 2024, Director General Grossi stated 

the Islamic Republic of Iran is ‘‘weeks rather than 

months’’ away from having enough enriched uranium to 

develop a nuclear bomb; 

Whereas, on June 3, 2024, Director General Grossi stated, 

‘‘Many countries have said if Iran gets nuclear weapons, 


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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, news agencies 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; and 

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, if it chooses to do so.’’: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY 

4 FORCE AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF 

5 IRAN. 

6 The President is authorized to use all necessary and 

7 appropriate force against the Islamic Republic of Iran if 


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1 the President determines that the Islamic Republic of 

2 Iran— 

3 (1) is in the process of possessing a nuclear 

4 weapon that threatens the national security interests 

5 of the United States; or 

6 (2) possesses uranium enriched to weapons7 grade level, possesses a nuclear warhead, or pos8 sesses a delivery vehicle capable of carrying a nu9 clear warhead that threatens the national security 

10 interests of the United States. 

11 SEC. 2. WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS. 

12 (a) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION.—Con13 sistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution 

14 (50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), the Congress declares that this 

15 section is intended to constitute specific statutory author16 ization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Pow17 ers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(b)). 

18 (b) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS.— 

19 Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of 

20 the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.). 

Æ 


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