House Votes 412-12 to Pass Major Iran Sanctions Bill

By an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 412-12, the House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA), which strengthens the president's authority to tell anyone who sells, ships or insures refined petroleum to Iran that they cannot do business in the United States. Iran is one of the largest oil exporters in the world, but because the theocratic regime in Tehran has grossly mismanaged the country's economy, Iran must import refined petroleum-gasoline for cars, etc. IRPSA targets this vulnerability. The House vote comes after Iran has repeatedly spurned President Obama's diplomatic overtures, instead choosing to press ahead with its efforts to enrich uranium-a key step toward building an atomic bomb.

The Senate is also moving ahead with its Iran sanctions bill. On Oct. 29, by a vote of 23 to 0, the Senate Banking Committee passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act (S. 2799), which includes the IRPSA (H.R. 2194) provisions. The bill awaits a vote by the full Senate.

Congress Passes Aid to Israel

The Senate on Sunday passed the annual foreign aid bill for fiscal year 2010, which includes $2.22 billion in security assistance to Israel. The aid, approved last week by the House, was included in a larger spending bill funding major parts of the federal government. The legislation has been sent to President Obama for his signature. The aid, when combined with $555 million approved in an earlier bill, brings the total amount of aid to Israel in fiscal year 2010 to $2.775 billion - a $225 million increase from last year. Congress has now fully funded the second year of the 10-year U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding signed by the United States and Israel in 2007 to gradually increase U.S. security assistance to the Jewish state in order to meet increasing threats. Learn more about the importance of aid to Israel.

West Decries Iran's Latest Nuclear Offer

Western officials said the Iranian foreign minister's weekend comments that Tehran would be willing to make a uranium trade in small batches, and on Iranian soil, fell well short of their demands, The Wall Street Journal reported. A proposed deal hammered out in October between U.S., French, Russian and International Atomic Energy Agency negotiators and their Iranian counterparts had called for Iran to ship the bulk of its low-enriched uranium outside the country to be further enriched, and then shipped back to Iran for use in a medical-research reactor. Senior Iranian officials, however, have refused to endorse the proposal, instead offering a series of sometimes-contradictory counteroffers and demands for major changes, in public comments. Learn more about Iran's rejection of the U.N.-backed nuclear proposal.

Gates Expects New Sanctions on Iran

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that he expected the United States and its allies to impose more stringent sanctions against Iran because the country had not followed through on promises it made in October to open its nuclear program to international inspection, The New York Times reported. "I think you're going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community, assuming that the Iranians don't change course and agree to do the things that they signed up to do at the beginning of October," Gates said. Under a deadline imposed by President Obama, Iran has until the end of this year to show progress in engaging with the West to limit its nuclear ambitions. Gates' comments were the first from a senior member of the Obama administration to say that tougher sanctions were now likely. Ask your representative to support Iran sanctions legislation.

European Union Gives Iran January 25 Deadline

European governments will give Iran until January 25 to return to the bargaining table over its nuclear program or face harsher sanctions, Bloomberg reported. "Iran's persistent failure to meet its international obligations and Iran's apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations require a clear response, including through appropriate measures. The European Union stands ready to take the necessary steps," an EU statement read. EU leaders have indicated that if Iran fails to respond to international demands by the January deadline, its leaders will meet to map out a timeline for imposing stiffer sanctions against the regime. Here in the United States, lawmakers in the House will be voting on the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act the week of December 14. Click here to take action and ask your representatives to support this critical legislation.

Hamas Smuggling Advanced Iranian Weaponry into Gaza

According to a new Israeli military assessment, Hamas is smuggling advanced Iranian weaponry, long-range rockets and large missile silos into the Gaza Strip via hundreds of underground tunnels along its border with Egypt, the Jerusalem Post reported. The report also indicated that the Iranian-backed terrorist group has taken control of 80 percent of Gaza's mosques and is using them to store its weaponry and set up command-and-control centers.
During Israel's January 2009 conflict in Gaza, Hamas fired rockets from densely populated civilian areas, knowing that Israel would be reluctant to attack such areas as in response.

Israel Prepares for Missile Attacks on Tel Aviv

The IDF Home Front Command is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will fire missiles up to a range of 50 miles from the Gaza Strip in the event of a future conflict with Israel-far enough to strike Tel Aviv, The Jerusalem Post reported. During Operation Cast Lead, which began December 27, 2008, Hamas fired rockets up to a range of around 25 miles, hitting Ashdod, a major port city. In late September, Hamas fired a missile with a 37 mile range, but it landed in the Mediterranean Sea. The IDF believes that Hamas has obtained Iranian-made Fajr missiles, either the Fajr 3 or Fajr 5. The Fajr 3 is 16 feet long and can carry a 99 pound warhead. To increase the rocket's range, Hamas has the option of shrinking the warhead, enabling it to strike deeper into Israel. Hizballah in Lebanon also possesses such a missile.