U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is introducing legislation to enforce stronger sanctions on Iranian oil sales during Monday night’s Senate session.
It’s in response to Iran’s support for Hamas, amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The legislation calls for at least $150 million for the Department of Homeland Security to investigate and seize Iranian oil tankers.
Blumenthal said current restrictions on Iranian oil sales are not enforced — and as a result, Iran is able to fund weapons and training for Hamas militants.
“Iran is a devastating malign influence in the Middle East, whose resources come from sales of oil,” Blumenthal said. “The United States can seize those ships that are making the deliveries of oil possible. It can halt the sales of Iran oil. But the department that is supposed to be doing it essentially is under-resourced, and creating this fund will give the Department of Homeland Security the directed specific resources it needs to make these sanctions more effective.”
“Iranian money has built the tunnels, provided the fuel, financed the weapons and munitions; every aspect of Hamas' existence is due to the illicit oil money that Iran has provided,” Blumenthal continued. “And they have equipped, trained, supplied, essentially financed the existence of Hamas, and its underground city in Gaza.”
The legislation has bipartisan support. It is co-sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA).
Blumenthal also called on the Senate to lift the hold that Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville placed on leadership nominations to the U.S. Military.
“These holes have been unconscionable and unacceptable,” Blumenthal said. “They affect, for example, nine top positions in Central Command, which has responsibility for the Middle East. CENTCOM has the operational command over our Mideast forces; nine top positions vacant in that command severely undermine its effectiveness.”
Tuberville has said he is holding up the confirmations because wants to overturn the military’s policies on abortion. He has been able to delay the confirmation by himself because the Senate requires unanimous consent to bring the matters to the floor.
Blumenthal said he hopes Tuberville will “do the right thing on his own.” But if Tuberville does not change his mind, Senate Democrats, who have a razor thin majority, will need nine Republicans to legislate around him.
