I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1033
To impose comprehensive economic sanctions against Iran.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 23, 1995
Mr. KING (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, and Mr. NEY) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and, in
addition, to the Committees on Banking and Financial Services and
International Relations, 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 impose comprehensive economic sanctions against Iran.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Comprehensive Iran
Sanctions Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
(a) IRAN’S VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS.—The
Congress makes the following findings with respect to
Iran’s violations of human rights:
(1) As cited by the 1991 United Nations Spe-
cial Representative on Human Rights, Amnesty
International, and the United States Department of
State, the Government of Iran has conducted assas-
sinations outside of Iran, such as that of former
Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar for which the
Government of France issued arrest warrants for
several Iranian governmental officials.
(2) As cited by the 1991 United Nations Spe-
cial Representative on Human Rights and by Am-
nesty International, the Government of Iran has
conducted revolutionary trials which do not meet
internationally recognized standards of fairness or
justice. These trials have included such violations as
a lack of procedural safeguards, trial times of 5 min-
utes or less, limited access to defense counsel, forced
confessions, and summary executions.
(3) As cited by the 1991 United Nations Spe-
cial Representative on Human Rights, the Govern-
ment of Iran systematically represses its Baha’i
population. Persecutions of this small religious com-
munity include assassinations, arbitrary arrests,
electoral prohibitions, and denial of applications for
documents such as passports.
(4) As cited by the 1991 United Nations Spe-
cial Representative on Human Rights, the Govern-
ment of Iran suppresses opposition to its govern-
ment. Political organizations such as the Freedom
Movement are banned from parliamentary elections,
have their telephones tapped and their mail opened,
and are systematically harassed and intimidated.
(5) As cited by the 1991 United Nations Spe-
cial Representative on Human Rights and Amnesty
International, the Government of Iran has failed to
recognize the importance of international human
rights. This includes suppression of Iranian human
rights movements such as the Freedom Movement,
lack of cooperation with international human rights
organizations such as the International Red Cross,
and an overall apathy toward human rights in gen-
eral. This lack of concern prompted the Special Rep-
resentative to state in his report that Iran had made
‘‘no appreciable progress towards improved compli-
ance with human rights in accordance with the cur-
rent international instruments’’.
(6) As cited by Amnesty International, the Gov-
ernment of Iran continues to torture its political
prisoners. Torture methods include burns, arbitrary
blows, severe beatings, and positions inducing pain.
(b) IRAN’S ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.—
The Congress makes the following findings, based on the
records of the Department of State, with respect to Iran’s
acts of international terrorism:
(1) As cited by the Department of State, the
Government of Iran was the greatest supporter of
state terrorism in 1992, supporting over 20 terrorist
acts, including the bombing of the Israeli Embassy
in Buenos Aires that killed 29 people.
(2) As cited by the Department of State, the
Government of Iran is a sponsor of radical religious
groups that have used terrorism as a tool. These in-
clude such groups as Hezballah, HAMAS, the Turk-
ish Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for
the 
Liberation 
of 
Palestine-General 
Command
(PFLP–GC).
(3) As cited by the Department of State, the
Government of Iran has resorted to international
terrorism as a means of obtaining political gain.
These actions have included not only the assassina-
tion of former Prime Minister Bakhitiar, but the
death sentence imposed on Salman Rushdie, and the
assassination of the leader of the Kurdish Demo-
cratic Party of Iran.
(4) As cited by the Department of State and
the Vice President’s Task Force on Combatting Ter-
rorism, the Government of Iran has long been a pro-
ponent of terrorist actions against the United
States, beginning with the takeover of the United
States Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Iranian support
of extremist groups have led to the following attacks
upon the United States as well:
(A) The car bomb attack on the United
States Embassy in Beirut killing 49 in 1983 by
the Hezballah.
(B) The car bomb attack on the United
States Marine Barracks in Beirut killing 241 in
1983 by the Hezballah.
(C) The assassination of American Univer-
sity President in 1984 by the Hezballah.
(D) The kidnapping of all American hos-
tages in Lebanon from 1984–86 by the
Hezballah.
SEC. 3. TRADE EMBARGO.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection
(c), effective on the date of enactment of this Act, a total
trade embargo shall be in force between the United States
and Iran.
(6) The importation into the United States of
any good or service which is, in whole or in part,
grown, produced, manufactured, extracted, or proc-
essed in Iran.
(c) EXTRATERRITORIAL APPLICATION.—In addition
to the transactions described in subsection (b), the trade
embargo imposed by this Act prohibits any transaction de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) through (4) of that subsection
when engaged in by a United States national abroad.
(d) EXCEPTIONS.—This section shall not apply to
any transaction involving the furnishing, for humanitarian
purposes, of food, clothing, medicine, or medical supplies,
instruments, or equipment to Iran or to any national
thereof.
(e) PENALTIES.—Any person who violates this sec-
tion or any license, order, or regulation issued under this
section shall be subject to the same penalties as are appli-
cable under section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to violations of
licenses, orders, or regulations under that Act.
(f) APPLICATION TO EXISTING LAW.—This section
shall apply notwithstanding any other provision of law or
international agreement.
SEC. 4. OPPOSITION TO MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.—(1)
The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United
States executive director of each international financial in-
stitution described in paragraph (2) to oppose and vote
against any extension of credit or other financial assist-
ance by that institution to Iran.
(2) The international financial institutions referred
to in paragraph (1) are the International Bank for Recon-
struction and Development, the International Develop-
ment Association, the Asian Development Bank, and the
International Monetary Fund.
(b) UNITED NATIONS.—It is the sense of the Con-
gress that the United States Permanent Representative to
the United Nations should oppose and vote against the
provision of any assistance by the United Nations or any
of its specialized agencies to Iran.
SEC. 5. WAIVER AUTHORITY.
The provisions of sections 3 and 4 shall not apply
if the President determines and certifies to the appro-
priate congressional committees that Iran—
(1) has substantially improved its adherence to
internationally recognized standards of human
rights;
(2) has ceased its efforts to acquire a nuclear
explosive device; and
(3) has ceased support for acts of international
terrorism.
SEC. 6. REPORT REQUIRED.
Beginning 60 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall sub-
mit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
describing—
(1) the nuclear and other military capabilities
of Iran; and
(2) the support, if any, provided by Iran for
acts of international terrorism.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘act of international terrorism’’
means an act—
(A) which is violent or dangerous to
human life and that is a violation of the crimi-
nal laws of the United States or of any State
or that would be a criminal violation if commit-
ted within the jurisdiction of the United States
or any State; and
(B) which appears to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian
population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a govern-
ment by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a govern-
ment by assassination or kidnapping.
(2) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate and the Committee on International
Relations of the House of Representatives;
(3) the term ‘‘Iran’’ includes any agency or in-
strumentality of Iran;
(4) the term ‘‘United States’’ means the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Vir-
gin Islands, and any other territory or possession of
the United States; and
(5) the term ‘‘United States national’’ means—
(A) a natural person who is a citizen of the
United States or who owes permanent alle-
giance to the United States;
(B) a corporation or other legal entity
which is organized under the laws of the United
States, any State or territory thereof, or the
District of Columbia, if natural persons who are
nationals of the United States own, directly or
indirectly, more than 50 percent of the out-
standing capital stock or other beneficial inter-
est in such legal entity; and
(C) any foreign subsidiary of a corporation
or other legal entity described in subparagraph
(B).
Æ