July 30, 2026
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Sheehy, and Mr. McCormick) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
Condemning the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its ongoing human rights abuses, including its use of politically motivated espionage claims to justify arbitrary detention and executions.
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a longstanding pattern of human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture, forced confessions, censorship, and politically motivated prosecutions;
Whereas the Iranian regime has repeatedly targeted dissidents, journalists, women, students, religious minorities, labor activists, and human rights defenders for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights;
Whereas Iranian authorities have increasingly relied on vague national security charges, including allegations of espionage, enmity against God
, and corruption on earth
, to silence political opposition and punish peaceful dissent;
Whereas individuals accused of espionage in the Islamic Republic of Iran are often denied due process, deprived of access to independent legal counsel, subjected to torture or coercion, and convicted in proceedings that fail to meet basic standards of fairness;
Whereas the Iranian regime has used executions as a tool of fear and political repression, including against individuals accused of espionage or collaboration with foreign governments;
Whereas the misuse of espionage claims by the Islamic Republic of Iran allows the regime to label political opponents, protesters, and dissidents as national security threats in order to justify imprisonment, abuse, and execution;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to persecute religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Sunni Muslims, Jews, and others, solely because of their faith;
Whereas women and girls in the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to face systematic discrimination, violence, and punishment for peacefully advocating for their basic rights;
Whereas the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran have repeatedly demonstrated their desire for freedom, justice, accountability, and respect for human dignity despite violent repression by the regime;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, acting primarily through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force, recruits, organizes, trains, finances, and directs terrorist organizations and proxy groups targeting United States and allied personnel throughout the Middle East;
Whereas the Department of Defense assesses that militias backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force are responsible for the deaths of at least 603 members of the Armed Forces of the United States, constituting almost 20 percent of the deaths of United States citizens during Operation Iraqi Freedom;
Whereas, on January 28, 2024, a militia backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran conducted a drone operation against Tower 22 in Jordan, killing 3 members of the Armed Forces of the United States and injuring at least 47 other individuals;
Whereas Houthi elements in Yemen employ missiles and unmanned aerial systems sourced from Iran against the United States Navy, targets in allied territories, commercial vessels, and international shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, threatening regional stability and freedom of navigation; and
Whereas it is in the national security and moral interest of the United States to stand with the Iranian people and hold the Iranian regime accountable for its human rights abuses: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
condemns the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its widespread and systematic violations of internationally recognized human rights;
(2)
condemns the use by the Iranian regime of politically motivated espionage allegations, vague national security charges, and coerced confessions to imprison and execute political opponents, protesters, and peaceful dissidents;
(3)
calls on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately halt executions carried out on politically motivated or unsupported national security charges, including alleged espionage offenses;
(4)
demands that Iranian authorities provide all detainees with due process, access to independent legal counsel, fair and transparent judicial proceedings, and protection from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment;
(5)
urges the immediate release of all individuals imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their freedoms of expression, religion, assembly, or association;
(6)
supports the Iranian people in their pursuit of freedom, democracy, religious liberty, human rights, and the rule of law;
(7)
encourages the President, the Secretary of State, and United States allies to continue holding Iranian officials accountable through targeted sanctions, international investigations, and other lawful measures; and
(8)
affirms that the United States should continue exposing the misuse of espionage claims and national security charges as tools of political repression by the Iranian regime.