A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic Republic of Iran for threatening the national security of the United States through the development of nuclear weapons.

Bill: 118-sjres-106
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced: 2024-07-31
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Homeland security

Iran

Middle East

Nuclear weapons

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

War and emergency powers
Latest action: action_date: 2024-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-07-31
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This joint resolution authorizes the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against Iran if the President determines that Iran (1) is in the process of possessing a nuclear weapon that threatens U.S. national security interests; or (2) possesses weapons-grade uranium, a nuclear warhead, or a nuclear warhead delivery vehicle that threatens U.S. national security interests.&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: IIA 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. J. RES. 106 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 31, 2024 Mr. Graham introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations JOINT RESOLUTION To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic Republic of Iran for threatening the national security of the United States through the development of nuclear weapons.

Whereas, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in acts of international terrorism and continuously threatened the United States, Israel, and partners and allies; Whereas, on January 19, 1984, the United States designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism for repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism; Whereas, on April 11, 2006, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had enriched uranium for the first time to a level close to 3.5 percent at the Natanz Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, Natanz, Iran; Whereas, on December 23, 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1737 (2006), which imposed sanctions with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its failure to suspend enrichment activities; Whereas, the United Nations Security Council subsequently adopted Resolutions 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), and 1929 (2010), all of which targeted the nuclear program of and imposed additional sanctions with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran; Whereas, on February 3, 2009, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had launched its first satellite, which raised concern over the applicability of the satellite to the ballistic missile program; Whereas, in September 2009, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France revealed the existence of the clandestine Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in the Islamic Republic of Iran, years after construction started on the plant; Whereas, on January 28, 2017, the Islamic Republic of Iran conducted a test of a medium-range ballistic missile, which traveled an estimated 600 miles and provides the Islamic Republic of Iran the capability to threaten military installations of the United States in the Middle East; Whereas, in 2018, Israel seized a significant portion of the nuclear archive of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which contained tens of thousands of files and compact discs relating to past efforts at nuclear weapon design, development, and manufacturing by the Islamic Republic of Iran; Whereas, on September 27, 2018, Israel revealed the existence of a secret warehouse housing radioactive material in the Turquz Abad district in Tehran, and an inspection of the warehouse by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) detected radioactive particles, which the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to adequately explain; Whereas, on June 19, 2020, the IAEA adopted Resolution GOV/2020/34 expressing serious concern... that Iran has not provided access to the Agency under the Additional Protocol to two locations ; Whereas, on April 17, 2021, the IAEA verified that the Islamic Republic of Iran had begun to enrich uranium to 60 percent purity; Whereas, on August 14, 2021, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani stated that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization can enrich uranium by 20 percent and 60 percent and if one day our reactors need it, it can enrich uranium to 90 percent purity ; Whereas, on April 17, 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed the relocation of a production facility for advanced centrifuges from an aboveground facility at Karaj, Iran, to the fortified underground Natanz Enrichment Complex; Whereas, on April 19, 2022, the Department of State released a report stating that there are serious concerns about possible undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran ; Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 kilograms, equivalent to 95.5 pounds, of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, roughly enough material for a nuclear weapon; Whereas, on June 8, 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran turned off surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA to monitor uranium enrichment activities at nuclear sites in the country; Whereas, in the July 14, 2022, joint declaration entitled The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration , the United States stressed its commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome ; Whereas, on July 22, 2022, Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, stated that the IAEA had very limited visibility into the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is galloping ahead ; Whereas, on July 27, 2022, the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran is building a new nuclear reactor at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, one of the largest nuclear facilities in the country; Whereas, on September 7, 2022, the IAEA reported that the stock of 60 percent-enriched uranium of the Islamic Republic of Iran had increased to an estimated 55.6 kilograms, equivalent to 122.58 pounds, which is an amount that if enriched further could be sufficient enough to produce a nuclear bomb; Whereas, on December 2, 2022, Director General Grossi stated Iran informed us they were tripling, not doubling, tripling their capacity to enrich uranium at 60 percent, which is very close to military level, which is 90 percent ; Whereas, on January 25, 2023, Director General Grossi stated, One thing is true: They [the Islamic Republic of Iran] have amassed enough nuclear material for several nuclear weapons ; Whereas, on February 27, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had enriched uranium to 83.7 percent, which is just short of the 90 percent threshold for weapons-grade fissile material; Whereas, on September 4, 2023, an IAEA report estimated the total uranium stockpile of the Islamic Republic of Iran to be 3795.5 kilograms, equivalent to 8367.65 pounds, and that the Islamic Republic of Iran has enough fissile material, that if further enriched, would be sufficient to produce several nuclear weapons; Whereas, on October 18, 2023, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) lapsed and many proliferation-related penalties and restrictions were lifted, meaning the Islamic Republic of Iran is legally permitted to test or transfer ballistic missiles, which may contribute to the further development of a nuclear weapon delivery system; Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the quarterly report published by the IAEA on the uranium enrichment program of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that due to the amount of stockpiled enriched uranium and centrifuge capacity, the Islamic Republic of Iran could produce its first quantity of 25 kilograms, equivalent to 55.11 pounds, of weapons grade uranium in as little as 7 days; Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the governments of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom released a joint statement in response to the report by the IAEA, which stated, The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification [and these] decisions demonstrate Iran’s lack of good will towards de-escalation and represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context…Iran must fully cooperate with the IAEA to enable it to provide assurances that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. ; Whereas, on February 27, 2024, a spokesperson for the Department of State stated, We remain seriously concerned about Iran’s continued expansion of its nuclear program in ways that have no credible civilian purpose, including its continued production of highly enriched uranium ; Whereas, on March 4, 2024, Director General Grossi stated Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60%. The agency has lost continuity of knowledge about the [Islamic Republic of Iran’s] production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate ; Whereas, on April 23, 2024, Director General Grossi stated the Islamic Republic of Iran is weeks rather than months away from having enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear bomb; Whereas, on June 3, 2024, Director General Grossi stated, Many countries have said if Iran gets nuclear weapons, they will do the same. Adding nuclear weapons to the cauldron of the Middle East is a very bad idea. ; Whereas, on June 5, 2024, by a vote of 20 to 2, the United States joined other nations in formally censuring the Islamic Republic of Iran for advances in their nuclear program and failure to cooperate with the IAEA; Whereas, on June 18, 2024, news agencies reported that intelligence agencies of the United States and Israel were looking into information that the Islamic Republic of Iran may have developed a computer model that could be used for research and development of nuclear weapons; and Whereas, on July 23, 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment, in accordance with Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 ( 22 U.S.C. 8701 note; Public Law 117–263 ), which stated, Iran continues to increase the size of its uranium stockpile, increase its enrichment capacity, and develop, manufacture, and operate advanced centrifuges. Tehran has the infrastructure and experience to quickly produce weapons-grade uranium, at multiple facilities, if it chooses to do so. : Now, therefore, be it

1. Authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran The President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against the Islamic Republic of Iran if the President determines that the Islamic Republic of Iran— (1) is in the process of possessing a nuclear weapon that threatens the national security interests of the United States; or (2) possesses uranium enriched to weapons-grade level, possesses a nuclear warhead, or possesses a delivery vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that threatens the national security interests of the United States. 2. War powers resolution requirements (a) Specific statutory authorization Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution ( 50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1) ), the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution ( 50 U.S.C. 1544(b) ). (b) Applicability of other requirements Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution ( 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq. ).