Cole: Freezing Iran’s support

Nearly two months have passed since Hamas’ unprovoked, barbaric attack on Israel. Among those killed or taken hostage are citizens from numerous nations, including the United States. A surge in western support for the attackers, among activists and some of the media, brings focus to a lack of understanding of who the aggressors in the region are, and why they continue to carry out acts of terrorism.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), alongside their countrymen, include volunteers from various religions and ethnicities among Israel’s population, who are coalesced around upholding freedom, democracy and Western values. In contrast, Hamas is a terrorist organization of military-trained and government-backed soldiers whose founding document claims that Jewish people are responsible for the French Revolution, World War I and the Russian Revolution, amongst others, and indeed includes archaic language rooted in deep antisemitism and fundamentalist oppression. Hamas is not fighting by itself, however; behind them is the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran has been a prime regional aggressor in the Middle East for decades. It continues to procure, produce and proliferate a broad range of military and related supplies, including rockets, long range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles for themselves and their proxy fighters, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the groups Iran arms and finances conducts attacks against United States service members and facilities in the region. During the Biden Administration, Iranian proxies have attacked the U.S. military at least 150 times in Iraq and Syria, with as much as one-half of that occurring sincethewarbeganinIsrael two months ago. The recent surge in aggression comes on the heels of the administration’s unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets and most recentlyissuingacontinuingwaiver tocertainsanctionsthattheDepartment of State issued on November 13. The effects of a lack of a clear strategy with which to contest and restrain Iran are on full display for the world to see.

Historically, the U.S. has imposed strict sanctions on Iran, and we must display strength towards such aggression around the globe. Attacks on the United States and our allies should be met with economic and military repercussions to help deter Iran from continuing aggression. Our government successfully halted Iran’s aggression andnuclearprogramin2019during the maximum pressure campaign authorized by the previous executive administration. Those policies retain merit today if only we had an administration with the resolution to implement them.

In the wake of Iran’s increased support of global terrorism, I am proud the U.S. House of Representatives advanced last week, with strong bipartisan support, H.R. 5961, the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act. There is no excuse forallowingHamas’mostimportant backer – Iran – to access money that can be used on weapons, training, rockets and weapons of mass destruction. By stopping billions of dollars from reaching Tehran, we can stem Iran’s support of global terrorism, and if signed into law, this bill would do just that.

An emboldened Iran will only leadtomorechaosacrosstheMiddle East. Our country must continue to tighten sanctions, expand the Abraham Accords and become more meaningfully engaged in the region militarily and diplomatically to prevent these acts of terror fromworseningandbecomingmore lethal. This is the level of strength andcommitmentthatouralliesand partners expect and deserve, and if done properly, will save American lives and taxpayer dollars in the future.