H. Res. 1165 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

December 11, 2018. 

Whereas Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with the support 

of Iran and the Russian Federation, has committed widespread atrocities against the people of Syria, leading to 

one of the worst humanitarian crises in over 70 years, including the deaths of more than 500,000 people, the destruction of more than 50 percent of Syria’s critical infrastructure, and the forced displacement of more than 

14 million people; 

Whereas the Assad regime, with the support of Iran and the 

Russian Federation, has conducted violent attacks 

against humanitarian aid workers, supplies, facilities, 

transports, and assets, and impeded the access and secure movement of humanitarian personnel, and has used 

chemical weapons against the Syrian people on numerous 

occasions; 

Whereas since the introduction of Russian forces into Syria 

in September 2015, Russia has deployed over 68,000 

Russian personnel to help sustain the Assad regime, and 

has reportedly transferred the S–300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria, giving Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and 

other Iranian-backed militias additional cover for their 

activities in Syria; 
2 

•HRES 1165 EH 

Whereas Iran is estimated to have deployed over 3,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regular 

Iranian military advisers to Syria and approximately 

20,000 militia fighters, including ’Asaib ahl al-Haqq, 

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Fatimeyoun, and 

Zainabiyoun, which continue to expand their presence in 

Syria; 

Whereas Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats has 

stated ‘‘it’s unlikely Russia has the will or capability to 

fully implement and counter Iranian decision and influence’’ in Syria; 

Whereas Iran’s positions in Syria, which Iran has used to 

launch rockets and drones toward Israel, are critical to 

Iran’s efforts to create a ‘‘land bridge’’ from Iran 

through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon so that it can arm 

Hezbollah in Lebanon with rockets and missiles, and increase the accuracy of Hezbollah’s munitions; 

Whereas Iranian-backed militias have demolished civilian 

areas, implemented sieges, and evicted civilian residents 

throughout Syria in a campaign of forced displacement, 

where Iranian-funded reconstruction plans to sell housing 

developments to foreign militias risk establishing a permanent Iranian presence and obstacle for return of thousands of Syrian families who fled Syria; and 

Whereas the Syrian Government has reportedly signed agreements with Iran and IRGC controlled companies with respect to military cooperation: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) supports a political solution to the conflict 

which will result in the air space of Syria no longer 

being utilized by the Assad regime or Russia to target 
3 

•HRES 1165 EH 

civilians, an end to the sieges carried out by Assad, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed militias, 

and the release of all political prisoners; 

(2) opposes international reconstruction funds from 

supporting projects in Syria in areas controlled by the 

Assad regime as long as the Assad regime remains in 

power; 

(3) condemns the Assad regime, the Government of 

the Russian Federation, the Government of Iran, and 

Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias for their 

continued support of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, including the widespread use of torture, 

summary executions, prolonged sieges, forced relocations, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians and humanitarian actors; 

(4) recognizes that as long as the Assad regime remains in power, it will continue to oppress the Syrian 

people, the Russian Federation will continue to expand 

its influence in the Middle East, and Iran will remain 

entrenched in Syria; 

(5) calls upon the President and Secretary of State 

to work towards a sustainable political transition in 

Syria that results in a government in Syria that is not 

a danger to its own people, abandons its chemical weapons program, allows for the safe, dignified, and vol-
4 

•HRES 1165 EH 

untary return of displaced persons, and does not provide 

Iran with a platform to threaten Syria’s neighbors; 

(6) urges the President and the Secretary of State 

develop a strategy to prevent a permanent Iranian presence in Syria, understanding that the Russia Federation 

has not proven to be a viable partner to help in this effort; 

(7) urges the Secretary of State to investigate and 

determine whether the forced displacement of Syrian civilians from their homes through brutal sieges, starvation, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and repopulation with foreign fighters constitutes sectarian or 

ethnic cleansing; and 

(8) calls on the President and Secretary of State to 

determine whether militias operating in Syria under the 

command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 

(IRGC), including Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, 

Fatemiyoun, Zainabioun, and ’Asaib ahl al-Haq are terrorist organizations and meet the criteria for sanctions 

pursuant to Executive Order No. 13460 or 13582. 

Attest: 

Clerk.