McCaul Proposal to Designate Iran's Qods Force as a Foreign Terrorist Organization Cleared for the Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 850, the Preventing a Nuclear Iran Act, which includes language offered by Congressman Michael McCaul to designate Iran’s Qods Force as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Congressman McCaul’s language, which received unanimous support in the Foreign Affairs Committee in May, would mandate that sanctions currently in place against FTOs shall be applied to the Qods Force, which is behind some of the deadliest attacks of the past three decades, including the killing of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If signed into law, this designation would allow prosecutors to bring new charges against anyone providing “material support or resources” to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qods Force. This includes but is not limited to money, identification, lodging, training, weapons or transportation. The penalty for providing support is up to 15 years to life in prison on top of any other criminal charges. In addition, any foreign member of the Qods Force in the United States can be deported for no other reason than for being a member, and banks must freeze any funds tied to FTOs.

“I applaud the House’s action on this critical and time-sensitive legislation, which should be a top priority in the Senate. As Iran presses forward with its nuclear weapons program and continues to use its elite Qods Force to support global terrorism, the U.S. must act now to tighten sanctions and apply pressure on the Iranian regime," said Rep. McCaul, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and is Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. "America’s primary foreign policy objective should be to prevent a nuclear Iran which would have dangerous consequences for the Middle East and the rest of the world.”

H.R. 850 strengthens sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, aims to deter the Iranian regime from further pursuing its nuclear weapons ambitions by increasing economic pressure and targeting human rights violators. This legislation now awaits consideration by the U.S. Senate.

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