I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1809 
To require the development of strategies and options to prevent the export 
to Iran of certain technologies related to unmanned aircraft systems, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 27, 2023 
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. PHILLIPS, and 
Ms. TENNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the development of strategies and options to pre-
vent the export to Iran of certain technologies related 
to unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Block the Use of 
Transatlantic Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federa-
tion initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 
(2) The Russian Federation’s war of aggression 
against Ukraine first began in 2014. 
(3) In response to the Russian Federation’s 
brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the 
United States, and allies and partners of the United 
States, have enacted punitive sanctions against the 
Russian Federation, further limiting the access of 
the Russian Federation to critical technologies that 
could support such war of aggression. 
(4) Since February 2022, the Russian Federa-
tion has bombarded Ukrainian infrastructure and lo-
cations actively used by civilians, using both cruise 
missiles and self-detonating unmanned aircrafts 
packed with explosives during these waves of at-
tacks. 
(5) Following these attacks, weapons used by 
the Russian Federation have been thoroughly ana-
lyzed and it has been discovered that the Russian 
Federation is increasingly using unmanned aircraft 
systems produced and sold by Iran. 
(6) In November 2022, it was reported that the 
Russian Federation and Iran made a deal wherein 
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Iran would produce hundreds of unmanned aircrafts 
for the Russian Federation. 
(7) Unmanned aircraft systems produced by 
Iran and used in Ukraine by the Russian Federa-
tion, including unmanned aircraft downed in 
Ukraine, were found to have been made with compo-
nents designed and built by United States and Euro-
pean companies and later transferred to Iranian en-
tities despite sanctions as a result of the dual use 
properties of such components. 
(8) The Biden Administration has established 
an interagency task force to investigate how United 
States and Western-made technology has been incor-
porated into unmanned aircraft systems produced by 
Iran and take appropriate steps in response. 
(9) On January 6th, 2023, the Biden Adminis-
tration enacted new sanctions targeting the un-
manned aircraft industry and missile industry of 
Iran, designating seven individuals in leadership po-
sitions with Qods Aviation Industries and the Aero-
space Industries Organization of Iran. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) controlling the end use of dual use tech-
nology and highly ubiquitous parts thereof in the 
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global market is difficult for manufacturers and gov-
ernment regulators alike; 
(2) the United States, along with the allies and 
partners of the United States, must continue to sup-
port Ukraine in the Ukrainian fight for freedom, 
independence, and democracy; and 
(3) the United States, along with the allies and 
partners of the United States, must ensure that 
technology designed or produced by United States 
entities is not used to support the Russian Federa-
tion’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particu-
larly in the case of unmanned aircraft systems pro-
duced by Iran. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGIES TO PREVENT EXPORT TO IRAN OF 
CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO UN-
MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. 
(a) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STRATEGY.— 
(1) STRATEGY
REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
Commerce (in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 
the elements of the intelligence community) shall de-
velop a strategy to supplement the existing sanctions 
regime of the United States against Iran by pre-
venting the export to Iran by United States persons 
regarding technologies used or that may be used in 
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the design, development, production, or operational 
employment of unmanned aircraft systems by Iran, 
including the following microelectronics: 
(A) Microcontrollers. 
(B) Voltage regulators. 
(C) Digital signal controllers. 
(D) GPS modules. 
(E) Microprocessors. 
(F) Circuit board components. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph 
(1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele-
ments: 
(A) A process for the Secretary of Com-
merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and 
heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively 
identify— 
(i) current and emerging technologies 
used or that may be used by Iran in the 
design, development, production, or oper-
ational employment of unmanned aircraft 
systems (including critical components 
thereof); and 
(ii) United States manufacturers of 
such technologies. 
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(B) A process for the Secretary of Com-
merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and 
heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively 
identify third-party distributors and resellers of 
the technologies specified in subparagraph 
(A)(i) that, through the use of intermediaries 
with no or nominal operations or assets, or 
through other mechanisms, contrive to cir-
cumvent sanctions and export controls for such 
items with respect to Iran. 
(C) A methodology for the Secretary of 
Commerce to proactively engage the United 
States manufacturers identified pursuant to the 
process under subparagraph (A)(ii), to provide 
such manufacturers with timely updates to the 
list of third-party distributors and resellers 
identified pursuant to the process under sub-
paragraph (B). 
(3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Commerce shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees the strategy under paragraph 
(1). 
(4) FORM.—The report required by subsection 
(a)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 
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portions of the report described in paragraphs (1) 
and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as 
such annex is provided separately from the unclassi-
fied report. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF STATE STRATEGY.— 
(1) STRATEGY
REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
State (in coordination with the Secretary of Com-
merce, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 
the elements of the intelligence community) shall de-
velop a strategy to engage with European and Asian 
allies and partners of the United States regarding 
technologies which are used, or may be used, by Iran 
in the design, development, production, or oper-
ational employment of unmanned aircraft systems 
(including the microelectronics listed in subpara-
graphs (A) through (F) of subsection (a)(1)), to pre-
vent the export of such technologies to Iran by such 
allies and partners. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph 
(1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele-
ments: 
(A) A process for the Secretary of State 
(in consultation with the relevant Secretaries 
and heads specified in paragraph (1)) to 
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proactively identify foreign manufacturers of 
the technologies referred to in such paragraph. 
(B) A process for the Secretary of State to 
engage with any ally or partner of the United 
States regarding technologies which have been 
incorporated into an unmanned aircraft system 
produced by Iran, for the purpose of synchro-
nizing the export control regime of such ally or 
partner with the United States export controls 
developed by the Secretary of Commerce pursu-
ant to the strategy under subsection (a) with 
respect to such technology. 
(3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees the strategy under paragraph (1). 
(4) FORM.—The report required by subsection 
(b)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 
portions of the report described in paragraphs (1) 
and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as 
such annex is provided separately from the unclassi-
fied report. 
(c) REQUIREMENT FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO 
DEVELOP RANGE OF OPTIONS.— 
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