House Republicans are pushing a bill that would pressure President Joe Biden to freeze Iran’s $6 billion asset in the wake of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.
This comes after the Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel and invaded towns along the Gaza border earlier last month, killing at least 700 people. The death toll has risen to 1,200 since the conflict between the two parties erupted, according to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed last week that Iran has been continuing support for Hamas and Hezbollah, an Islamist militant group based in Lebanon.
“Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah, and we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran,” Kirby said. “We know Iran’s goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we’re not going to allow them to do that.”
Late last month, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation to boost sanctions against Iranian oil exports. The bill would impose sanctions on individuals or organizations that support Iran’s oil trade. These sanctions could include property freezes and visa bans.
GOP New York Rep. Mike Lawler, the legislation’s co-sponsor, said that the bill’s measures are not permanent and would only apply if Iran backs international terrorist operations. He added that there should be repercussions for each “enabler” in the Iranian oil supply chain.
Lawler is among the Republican lawmakers calling for the Biden administration to cut ties with Iran. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham also warned Iran against aiding Hamas following its recent attack against Israel.
“I will introduce a resolution in the United States Senate to allow military action by the United States in conjunction with Israel to knock Iran out of the oil business. Iran, if you escalate this war, we’re coming for you,” Graham said during an interview on MSNBC.
The attack prompted Israel to declare war against the terrorist group with a ruthless aerial campaign that has flattened homes, schools, medical institutions, and government buildings in the Gaza Strip.
