I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7148 

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 

MARCH 18, 2022 

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 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The United States Nuclear Regulatory 

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


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1 uranium enriched to at least 20 percent uranium– 

2 235. 

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 June 17, 2019, the spokesman for 

13 Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz 

14 Kamalvandi, suggested that Iran’s enrichment could 

15 reach up to 20 percent. 

16 (5) On April 16, 2021, the head of the Atomic 

17 Energy Organization of Iran, Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, 

18 told the state television that Iran had begun enrich19 ing uranium to 60 percent. 

20 (6) On July 14, 2021, the former President of 

21 Iran, President Hassan Rouhani, says during a 

22 press conference that Iran has the knowledge and 

23 ability to enrich weapons-grade uranium at 90 per24 cent. 


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1 (7) On September 7, 2021, the International 

2 Atomic Energy Agency warned in their quarterly re3 port of the knowledge gained by Iran about ad4 vanced centrifuge performance and higher-level en5 richment that cannot be fully reversed. The report 

6 showed that the stockpile of 60 percent enriched 

7 uranium grew from 2.4 kilograms in May to 10 kilo8 grams. It also indicated Iran reconfigured its 60 

9 percent production lines at Natanz and appears to 

10 be enriching to that level more efficiently and con11 sistently. 

12 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

13 It is the sense of Congress that the United States 

14 should— 

15 (1) seek to extend the limitations on Iran’s en16 riched uranium, including through engagement in 

17 multilateral diplomatic initiatives; 

18 (2) ensure that Israel and other allies are pre19 pared for all contingencies if Iran pursues develop20 ment of a nuclear weapon; 

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

22 of a nuclear weapon will never be tolerated; and 

23 (4) reaffirm the United States commitment to 

24 deter Iranian nuclear development with a credible 

25 military threat. 


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1 SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT. 

2 (a) STUDY.—The President, acting through the Sec3 retary of Defense, shall seek to conduct a study with the 

4 Government of Israel on Israeli military requirements to 

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

6 qualitative military edge (as such term is defined in sec7 tion 36(h)(3) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 

8 2776(h)(3))) and national security, including an Iranian 

9 nuclear weapon. Such study shall include an analysis of 

10 gaps in Israel’s security requirements, including infra11 structure, munitions, intelligence sharing, satellites, and 

12 the extent to which the transfer of United States ordnance 

13 to Israel would advance the national interests of both 

14 countries. 

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

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

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

18 described in subsection (a). 

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

20 shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include 

21 a classified annex. 

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

23 ALL CONTINGENCIES IF IRAN SEEKS TO DE24 VELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON. 

25 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the preliminary condi26 tions described in subsection (b), the President is authorVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:53 Mar 22, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7148.IH H7148

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1 ized to take the actions described in subsection (c), upon 

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

3 is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop 

4 a nuclear weapon. 

5 (b) PRELIMINARY CONDITIONS.—The President may 

6 exercise the authority of subsection (a) only if the Presi7 dent first determines and certifies to Congress that— 

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

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

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

11 of the United States to do so. 

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

13 this subsection are the following: 

14 (1) To provide for the construction of infra15 structure in Israel to accommodate large ordnance 

16 systems that are designed to destroy underground 

17 nuclear infrastructure, including— 

18 (A) construction of extended runways for 

19 aircraft that carry the Massive Ordnance Pene20 trator (MOP); 

21 (B) basing options for such aircraft; and 

22 (C) munition storage facilities. 

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

24 MOP or related munitions described in paragraph 


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1 (1), to be used by the United States except as pro2 vided in subparagraph (B). 

3 (B) To transfer the MOP or related munitions 

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

5 President determines and certifies to Congress 

6 that— 

7 (i) Iran— 

8 (I) is in noncompliance with the NPT 

9 Safeguards Agreement; 

10 (II) has modified its implementation 

11 of the NPT Safeguards Agreement (includ12 ing modified Code 3.1); or 

13 (III) as determined by the President, 

14 has reduced access of inspectors of the 

15 Agency in such a manner so as to be prej16 udicial to the Agency’s ability to provide 

17 confidence as to the non-diversion of de18 clared nuclear material and absence of 

19 undeclared nuclear activities; 

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

21 United States to do so; 

22 (iii) Israel has no other means to achieve 

23 a mutual national security objective of destroy24 ing Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure 

25 or facilities; and 


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

2 requiring approval by the President, acting 

3 through the Secretary of Defense (which may 

4 not be further delegated) for deployment of the 

5 MOP or related munitions described in para6 graph (1) prior to Israeli deployment of such 

7 munitions. 

8 (3) To provide for training of Israeli personnel 

9 with respect to the MOP or related munitions de10 scribed in paragraph (1). 

11 (4) To conduct joint research and development 

12 with Israel to— 

13 (A) enhance United States ordnance; and 

14 (B) develop Israeli capability for ordnance 

15 to destroy underground infrastructure, includ16 ing Hezbollah rocket storage and manufac17 turing facilities and underground Iranian nu18 clear facilities. 

19 (d) NPT SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT DEFINED.—In 

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

21 means the Agreement between Iran and the International 

22 Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards 

23 in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation 

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

25 1974. 


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1 SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

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

3 authorization for the use of military force against Iran. 

Æ 


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