WASHINGTON, D.C. -  U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and six of his colleagues introduced the Iran China Accountability Act to call attention to Iran’s ties with Communist China by prohibiting the obligation or expenditure of any taxpayer dollars to advance a nuclear agreement with Iran until the regime terminates their ties with Communist China and terrorist groups like Hamas. 

“We need to learn from the failures of the Iran nuclear deal. Any future agreements between the United States and Iran must ensure Tehran has ceased its support of terrorist groups and its financial reliance on the totalitarian Chinese Communist Part,” said Senator Tillis. “The United States must continue to be a leader in defending human rights and preventing rogue regimes, like Iran, from developing nuclear weapons capability.”

BACKGROUND:

In March 2021, Iran and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signed a 25-year, $400 billion strategic economic agreement to advance Chinese influence in the Middle East. Despite an international sanctions regime, the PRC is Iran’s largest oil customer. 

Obama’s 2015 Iran Deal required that the United Nations arms embargo on Iran expire in October 2020, which would have permitted the PRC to sell arms to Iran and vice versa. The Biden administration is engaged in negotiations to re-establish a similar agreement.   

The Iran China Accountability Act would accomplish the following:

• Requires any nuclear agreement to be ratified by a 2/3s vote of the U.S. Senate.
• Prohibits obligation or expenditure of any funds for a nuclear agreement until:
• Iran terminates all agreements involving the transfer of funds from China and terminates strategic security and military partnerships with China;
• Iran terminates all ties and transfers of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas;
• Iran verifies the destruction of all chemical weapons, materials, and infrastructure; and
• The CCP ceases the incarceration of Uyghurs.
  • Requires a report from the Secretary of State to Congress detailing how any future agreement with Iran meets each requirement listed above.
  • Condemns Hamas-incited terrorist attacks on Israel.

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