I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9206 

To authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel is prepared 

for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2024 

Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Mr. MAST) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel 

is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop 

a nuclear weapon, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bunker Buster Act 

5 of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The United States Nuclear Regulatory 

9 Commission defines ‘‘high-enriched uranium’’ as 


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1 uranium enriched to at least 20 percent uranium2 235. 

3 (2) Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan 

4 of Action, Iran agreed to refrain from producing en5 riched uranium containing more than 3.67 percent 

6 uranium-235 for 15 years. 

7 (3) On January 13, 2019, the head of the 

8 Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Dr. Ali Akbar 

9 Salehi, told the Fars News Agency, ‘‘If we want to 

10 come out of the nuclear deal and produce, within 

11 four days we could start our 20 percent.’’. 

12 (4) On April 16, 2021, Dr. Salehi told the state 

13 television that Iran had begun enriching uranium to 

14 60 percent. 

15 (5) On July 14, 2021, the former President of 

16 Iran, President Hassan Rouhani, said during a press 

17 conference that Iran has the knowledge and ability 

18 to enrich weapons-grade uranium at 90 percent. 

19 (6) According to an International Atomic En20 ergy Agency (IAEA) report, as of May 11, 2024, 

21 Iran has 142.1 kilograms (313.2 pounds) of ura22 nium enriched up to 60 percent, an increase of 20.6 

23 kilograms (45.4 pounds) since the last report by the 

24 United Nations watchdog in February. Uranium en25 riched at 60 percent purity is just a short, technical 


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1 step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. 

2 Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands 

3 at 6,201.3 kilograms (1,3671.5 pounds), which rep4 resents an increase of 675.8 kilograms (1,489.8 

5 pounds) since the IAEA’s previous report. 

6 (7) The current stockpile is enough to make 

7 several nuclear bombs according to the criteria the 

8 IAEA uses to make such determinations. 

9 (8) Reports indicate the Iran may be con10 structing new facilities to help expand its nuclear 

11 program 

12 (9) In June 2024, the IAEA elected to censure 

13 Iran for its violation of international responsibilities 

14 under its nuclear agreement and demanded its co15 operation, including the readmittance of inspectors 

16 and the restoration of camera surveillance at nuclear 

17 sites. 

18 (10) In June the IAEA announced Iran is in19 stalling 1,400 new advanced centrifuges at its 

20 Fordow facility. 

21 (11) Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been at 

22 war with Hamas in the Gaza strip, which has used 

23 Iranian funding and direction to target the Jewish 

24 state. 


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1 (12) Hamas continues to hide within civilian in2 frastructure, fire rockets at humanitarian crossings, 

3 and steal international aid and resources that are 

4 only further hurting the Palestinian civilians. Hamas 

5 has built tunnels under United Nations Relief and 

6 Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near 

7 East (UNRWA) buildings, including a large data 

8 center under UNRWA’s Gaza base, and stores weap9 ons in UNRWA schools. 

10 (13) As of June 2024, Ansarullah, or otherwise 

11 known as the Houthis, have launched at least 60 at12 tacks at ships. They have seized 1 vessel, killed 4 

13 sailors, and sunk 2 ships since November 2023. The 

14 Houthis have also launched drones, missiles, and 

15 mortars toward Israel and at United States and its 

16 allies. The Houthis operate with Iranian funds. 

17 (14) Since October 7, 2023, Hezbollah has 

18 launched over 5,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at 

19 Israel. Iran has, provided Hezbollah with more than 

20 100,000 missiles and rockets. 

21 (15) Iran is expanding its missile capacity and 

22 weaponization program to further assist their prox23 ies across the region. 


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1 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 It is the sense of Congress that the United States 

3 should— 

4 (1) seek to extend the limitations on Iran’s en5 riched uranium, including through engagement in 

6 multilateral diplomatic initiatives; 

7 (2) ensure that Israel and other allies are pre8 pared for all contingencies if Iran pursues develop9 ment of a nuclear weapon; 

10 (3) send a clear signal to Iran that development 

11 of a nuclear weapon will never be tolerated; and 

12 (4) reaffirm the United States commitment to 

13 deter Iranian nuclear development with a credible 

14 military threat. 

15 SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT. 

16 (a) STUDY.—The President, acting through the Sec17 retary of Defense, shall seek to conduct a study with the 

18 Government of Israel on Israeli military requirements to 

19 defend itself against a wide range of threats to Israel’s 

20 qualitative military edge (as such term is defined in sec21 tion 36(h)(3) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 

22 2776(h)(3))) and national security, including an Iranian 

23 nuclear weapon. Such study shall include an analysis of 

24 gaps in Israel’s security requirements, including infra25 structure, munitions, intelligence sharing, satellites, and 

26 the extent to which the transfer of United States ordnance 


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1 to Israel would advance the national interests of both 

2 countries. 

3 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit 

5 to Congress a report that contains the results of the study 

6 described in subsection (a). 

7 (c) FORM.—The report referred to in subsection (b) 

8 shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include 

9 a classified annex. 

10 SEC. 5. ACTIONS TO ENSURE ISRAEL IS PREPARED FOR 

11 ALL CONTINGENCIES IF IRAN SEEKS TO DE12 VELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the preliminary condi14 tions described in subsection (b), the President is author15 ized to take the actions described in subsection (c), upon 

16 the request of the Government of Israel, to ensure Israel 

17 is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop 

18 a nuclear weapon. 

19 (b) PRELIMINARY CONDITIONS.—The President may 

20 exercise the authority of subsection (a) only if the Presi21 dent first determines and certifies to Congress that— 

22 (1) it is consistent with the results of the study 

23 and report required under section 4 to do so; and 

24 (2) it is vital to the national security interests 

25 of the United States to do so. 


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1 (c) ACTIONS DESCRIBED.—The actions described in 

2 this subsection are the following: 

3 (1) To provide for the construction of infra4 structure in Israel to accommodate large ordnance 

5 systems that are designed to destroy underground 

6 nuclear infrastructure, including— 

7 (A) construction of extended runways for 

8 aircraft that carry the Massive Ordnance Pene9 trator (MOP); 

10 (B) basing options for such aircraft; and 

11 (C) munition storage facilities. 

12 (2)(A) To store in the territory of Israel the 

13 MOP or related munitions described in paragraph 

14 (1), to be used by the United States except as pro15 vided in subparagraph (B). 

16 (B) To transfer the MOP or related munitions 

17 described in paragraph (1) to Israeli custody if the 

18 President determines and certifies to Congress 

19 that— 

20 (i) Iran— 

21 (I) is in noncompliance with the NPT 

22 Safeguards Agreement; 

23 (II) has modified its implementation 

24 of the NPT Safeguards Agreement (includ25 ing modified Code 3.1); or 


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1 (III) as determined by the President, 

2 has reduced access of inspectors of the 

3 IAEA in such a manner so as to be preju4 dicial to the IAEA’s ability to provide con5 fidence as to the non-diversion of declared 

6 nuclear material and absence of undeclared 

7 nuclear activities; 

8 (ii) it is vital to the national security of the 

9 United States to do so; 

10 (iii) Israel has no other means to achieve 

11 a mutual national security objective of destroy12 ing Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure 

13 or facilities; and 

14 (iv) a dual key control system is in place 

15 requiring approval by the President, acting 

16 through the Secretary of Defense (which may 

17 not be further delegated) for deployment of the 

18 MOP or related munitions described in para19 graph (1) prior to Israeli deployment of such 

20 munitions. 

21 (3) To provide for training of Israeli personnel 

22 with respect to the MOP or related munitions de23 scribed in paragraph (1). 

24 (4) To conduct joint research and development 

25 with Israel to— 


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1 (A) enhance United States ordnance; and 

2 (B) develop Israeli capability for ordnance 

3 to destroy underground infrastructure, includ4 ing Hezbollah rocket storage and manufac5 turing facilities and underground Iranian nu6 clear facilities. 

7 (d) NPT SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT DEFINED.—In 

8 this section, the term ‘‘NPT Safeguards Agreement’’ 

9 means the Agreement between Iran and the International 

10 Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards 

11 in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation 

12 of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on May 15, 

13 1974. 

14 SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

15 Nothing in this Act may be construed to serve as an 

16 authorization for the use of military force against Iran. 

Æ 


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