I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7850 

To require a National Intelligence Estimate on Iranian proxy forces, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2020 

Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself, Mr. ZELDIN, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mrs. 

BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. CORREA, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, 

Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. YOHO, and Mr. ROONEY of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require a National Intelligence Estimate on Iranian proxy 

forces, 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 ‘‘NIE on Iranian Proxy 

5 Forces Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Hizballah is Iran’s oldest and most success2 ful proxy force. 

3 (2) Hizballah has trained militia groups in Iraq. 

4 (3) Hizballah is active in Syria and its fighters 

5 have helped President Bashar Al-Assad maintain re6 gime control. 

7 (4) Hizballah fighters are returning to Lebanon 

8 more battle-tested and more capable than ever be9 fore. 

10 (5) In 2006, Hizballah’s rocket and missile ar11 senal in Lebanon was approximately 15,000; how12 ever, by 2020, this figure has grown ten-fold to more 

13 than 150,000. 

14 (6) With the assistance of Iran, Hizballah’s 

15 weapons arsenal has not only increased in quantity, 

16 but also quality, including technologically advanced 

17 weapons and more accurate missiles. 

18 (7) Iran is reportedly building missile produc19 tion facilities in Lebanon to enable an indigenous 

20 rocket-producing capability for Hizballah. 

21 (8) Iran is actively pursuing its regional inter22 ests and challenging United States interests and 

23 United States allies through the use of proxy forces 

24 in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. 


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1 (b) NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE.—Not later 

2 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

3 the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with 

4 the Secretary of State, shall produce a National Intel5 ligence Estimate— 

6 (1) on Iranian support of proxy and other part7 ner and militia forces in the Middle East region; and 

8 (2) assessing the increased threat posed to 

9 Israel, other United States regional allies, and other 

10 specified interests of the United States as a result 

11 of such support. 

12 (c) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The National In13 telligence Estimate required under subsection (b) shall in14 clude, at a minimum, information relating to the following 

15 matters with respect to both the strategic and tactical im16 plications for the United States and its allies: 

17 (1) A description of Iranian and Iranian-con18 trolled personnel, including Hizballah, Shiite mili19 tias, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 

20 forces, operating in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, in21 cluding the number and geographic distribution of 

22 such personnel. 

23 (2) A description of arms and related material 

24 transferred by Iran to such Iranian and Iranian-con25 trolled personnel since January 2011, including the 


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1 number and type of such arms and related material 

2 and whether such transfer was by land, sea, or air, 

3 as well as financial and additional technological ca4 pabilities. 

5 (3) An identification of financial institutions, 

6 businesses, and other persons that provide material 

7 support, including financial support, to such Iranian 

8 and Iranian-controlled personnel. 

9 (4) An assessment of the operational and doc10 trinal lessons learned and relationships forged by 

11 such Iranian and Iranian-controlled personnel based 

12 on recent battle experiences in Iraq and Syria, and 

13 on the performance of these groups in the aftermath 

14 of the killing of Qassem Soleimani and Abu-Mahdi 

15 al-Muhandis. 

16 (5) A description of any rocket and missile pro17 duction and modification facilities in Lebanon and 

18 Syria for such Iranian and Iranian-controlled per19 sonnel, and whether— 

20 (A) such facilities involve precision-guided 

21 munitions; 

22 (B) such facilities were assessed to be built 

23 at the direction of Hizballah leadership, Iranian 

24 leadership, or both Hizballah and Iranian lead25 ership; and 


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1 (C) such facilities are connected to the Ira2 nian ‘‘landbridge’’ project. 

3 (6) An analysis of the foreign and domestic 

4 supply chains that significantly facilitate, support, or 

5 otherwise aid Hizballah’s acquisition or development 

6 of missile production facilities, including the geo7 graphic distribution of such foreign and domestic 

8 supply chains. 

9 (7) An assessment of the provision of goods, 

10 services, or technology transferred by Iran or its af11 filiates to Hizballah to indigenously manufacture or 

12 otherwise produce missiles. 

13 (8) The number of arms or related material 

14 transferred by Iran or its affiliates to such Iranian 

15 and Iranian-controlled personnel in Iraq, Syria, and 

16 Lebanon and an identification of the Iranian or Ira17 nian-controlled personnel to which the arms or re18 lated material were transferred. 

19 (9) An identification of foreign persons that 

20 are, based on credible information, facilitating the 

21 transfer of significant financial support or arms or 

22 related material to such Iranian and Iranian-con23 trolled personnel. 

24 (10) A description of the threat posed to Israel 

25 and other United States partners in the Middle East 


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1 by the transfer of arms or related material or other 

2 support offered to such Iranian and Iranian-con3 trolled personnel. 

4 (11) An assessment of the military capabilities 

5 of United States partners in the region to address 

6 and offset the transfers described in paragraph (10). 

7 (d) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Upon completion of 

8 the National Intelligence Estimate required under sub9 section (b), the Director of National Intelligence shall sub10 mit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 

11 on Financial Services, the Committee on Armed Services, 

12 and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 

13 the House of Representatives and the Committee on For14 eign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

15 Urban Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the 

16 Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a copy of 

17 such estimate. 

18 (e) ARMS OR RELATED MATERIAL DEFINED.—The 

19 term ‘‘arms or related material’’ means— 

20 (1) nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological 

21 weapons or materials or components of such weap22 ons; 

23 (2) ballistic or cruise missile weapons or mate24 rials or components of such weapons; 


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1 (3) destabilizing numbers and types of ad2 vanced conventional weapons, as well as unmanned 

3 aerial threats such as drones, rockets, and mortars; 

4 (4) defense articles or defense services, as those 

5 terms are defined in paragraphs (3) and (4), respec6 tively, of section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act 

7 (22 U.S.C. 2794); 

8 (5) defense information, as that term is defined 

9 in section 644 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

10 (22 U.S.C. 2403); or 

11 (6) items designated by the President for pur12 poses of the United States Munitions List under sec13 tion 38(a)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 

14 U.S.C. 2778(a)(1)). 

15 SEC. 3. STRATEGY. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after com17 pletion of the National Intelligence Estimate required 

18 under section 2(b), the President shall transmit to Con19 gress a strategy to prevent Iran from expanding its influ20 ence and power in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. 

21 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—Such strategy 

22 shall include plans to— 

23 (1) limit Iranian and Iranian-controlled per24 sonnel, including Hizballah, Shiite militias, and 


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1 Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps forces, operating 

2 in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon; and 

3 (2) interdict the sale, supply, or transfer of 

4 weapons from Iran to such Iranian and Iranian-con5 trolled personnel operating in such countries. 

Æ 


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