Congress locks in Iran sanctions, strips presidential waiver power

What it does

This bill dramatically expands U.S. sanctions against Iran, targeting its ballistic missile and drone programs, Revolutionary Guard Corps, and affiliated entities. It codifies existing regulations, blocks property of sanctioned persons, restricts foreign financial institutions from conducting transactions with Iran, and requires the President to regularly identify and sanction new Iranian entities and foreign supporters—while prohibiting the President from issuing new waivers or licenses related to the IRGC until a specific congressional certification is made.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to expand and codify existing Iran sanctions, particularly targeting ballistic missiles, the IRGC, and foreign supporters, while locking in restrictions on presidential waiver authority. This is a foreign policy/sanctions measure, not a domestic program or commemorative act.

What the text implies

• The bill codifies a January 2021 regulatory baseline (31 CFR 560.516) and locks it into law, preventing future administrations from modifying Iran transaction rules without new legislation—a structural constraint on executive flexibility in foreign policy.
• Section 110(3) prohibits the President from issuing licenses to permit transactions under the codified regulations, except for 180-day suspensions—this removes a traditional presidential tool for targeted humanitarian or diplomatic exceptions.

The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.

Who stands to gain

U.S. financial institutions (compliance and sanctions monitoring services); Foreign financial institutions (those not conducting Iran transactions face no new restrictions); Defense and intelligence contractors (expanded reporting and monitoring requirements create demand f