III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 81
Calling on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) to initiate the
snapback of sanctions on Iran under United Nations Security Council
Resolution 2231 (2015).
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY13, 2025
Mr. R
ICKETTS(for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mrs. CAPITO, Mrs.
B
LACKBURN, Mr. JUSTICE, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. SHEEHY, Mr. SULLIVAN,
Ms. L
UMMIS, Mr. CRAPO, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. CRUZ, and Mr. YOUNG)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Calling on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3)
to initiate the snapback of sanctions on Iran under
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
Whereas, on July 15, 2015, the P5+1 (the United States,
the United Kingdom, France, the People’s Republic of
China, the Russian Federation, and Germany), the Euro-
pean Union, and the Islamic Republic of Iran finalized
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA);
Whereas the JCPOA required the Government of Iran to im-
plement constraints on its uranium enrichment and heavy
water nuclear reactor programs, as well as allow the
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•SRES 81 IS
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor
compliance with the agreement;
Whereas, on July 20, 2015, the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 2231 (UNSCR
2231), which endorsed the JCPOA and provided for the
termination of all previous UNSC resolutions targeting
Iran’s nuclear program (1696, 1737, 1747, 1803 1835,
and 1929), while maintaining United Nation’s arms re-
strictions on Iran for 5 years and United Nation’s prohi-
bitions on Iran’s missile and drone activity for 8 years;
Whereas, pursuant to the JCPOA, Iran received significant
sanctions relief from the previous sanctions imposed by
the European Union, the United States, and previous
UNSC resolutions;
Whereas Iran used this sanctions relief to fund its terrorist
proxies, regional aggression, and its expansion of its bal-
listic missile program;
Whereas, on May 8, 2018, President Donald J. Trump an-
nounced the United States was ceasing its participation
in the JCPOA and reimposing sanctions against Iran
that had been previously waived;
Whereas President Trump’s successful maximum pressure
campaign imposed significant financial costs on Iran’s re-
gime ‘‘to alter its course of malign activities and ensure
that Iranian bad acts are no longer rewarded’’;
Whereas, Iran has repeatedly violated the terms of the
JCPOA and UNSCR 2231, including by—
(1) lifting the cap on its stockpile of uranium;
(2) increasing its enrichment activities to 60 percent
purity, expanding its enrichment capabilities;
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(3) resuming its activity at prohibited nuclear facili-
ties; and
(4) preventing the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) from being able to effectively monitor its
nuclear activities;
Whereas, Iran repeatedly violated UNSCR 2231’s restrictions
on ballistic missile testing and development, as well as
United Nations-imposed and internationally binding arms
export and import embargoes;
Whereas UNSCR 2231 includes a formal mechanism for a
participant state of the JCPOA, if it believes there has
been significant non-performance of commitments under
the JCPOA by Iran, to trigger a process that would re-
quire the UNSC to ‘‘snapback’’ all United Nation sanc-
tions on Iran that has been lifted pursuant to UNSCR
2231;
Whereas, on September 14, 2024, in a joint statement, the
United States and United Kingdom acknowledged pub-
licly that Iran’s nuclear program ‘‘has never been more
advanced and posed a clear threat to regional and global
peace and security’’;
Whereas, in June and November of 2024, in efforts led by
France, Germany, the United Kingdom (E3), and the
United States, the IAEA’s Board of Governors voted to
censure Iran for non-compliance with its obligations
under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons, done at Washington, London, and Moscow July
1, 1968 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Nuclear Non-
proliferation Treaty’’ or ‘‘NPT’’);
Whereas, on December 9, 2024, the E3 sent a letter to the
United Nations Security Council stating, ‘‘We reiterate
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our determination to use all diplomatic tools to prevent
Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including using
snapback if necessary.’’;
Whereas, on January 6, 2025, President of France Emman-
uel Macron said the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear pro-
gram was ‘‘bringing us very close to the breaking point’’
and said, ‘‘We will have to ask ourselves whether to use
the mechanism for re-establishing sanctions. We are
ready to do so if the question arises.’’;
Whereas, on January 23, 2025, the Director General of the
IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that Iran has increased pro-
duction of 60 percent enriched uranium from 7 kilograms
to over 30 kilograms per month, and currently possess
about 200 kilograms, which if enriched to 90 percent
would amount to at least 5 nuclear weapons; and
Whereas, under UNSCR 2231, the resolution, including the
‘‘snapback’’ mechanism, terminates 10 years after Adop-
tion Day for the JCPOA, which will be October 18, 2025:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) recognizes that Iran’s possession of a nu-2
clear weapon would threaten not only the security of 3
the United States, but global security at large, in-4
cluding United States allies and partners in Europe 5
and the Middle East; 6
(2) condemns the Government of Iran’s flagrant 7
and repeated violations of commitments it made 8
under the JCPOA and its international obligations 9
under UNSCR 2231; 10
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(3) condemns the Russian Federation and the 1
People’s Republic of China, who remain participants 2
in the JCPOA, for their role in supporting Iran’s 3
malign activities; 4
(4) reaffirms that the United States Govern-5
ment maintains the right to take any necessary 6
measures to prevent the Government of Iran from 7
acquiring nuclear weapons; 8
(5) supports the imposition and enforcement of 9
robust sanctions on Iran for its nuclear and missile 10
programs and on entities and individuals involved in 11
these programs to deter further proliferation efforts; 12
and 13
(6) urges the E3 to invoke the ‘‘snapback’’ of 14
United Nations sanctions against Iran under 15
UNSCR 2231 as soon as possible before the option 16
expires on October 18, 2025. 17
Æ
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