To express the sense of the Senate on imposing sanctions with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

1. Adds SEC. 1232. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON IMPOSING SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN at the end of subtitle C of title XII

   Adds a section

   In S. 1390 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (D) providing a comprehensive assessment of how the performance of the particular measure of progress hinders or enhances the overall performance toward achieving strategic objectives of the United States in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

   Inserted: SEC. 1232. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON IMPOSING SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) The illicit nuclear activities of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, combined with its development of unconventional weapons and ballistic missiles and support for international terrorism, represent a grave threat to the security of the United States and United States allies in Europe, the Middle East, and around the world.

   Inserted: (2) The United States and other responsible countries have a vital interest in working together to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.

   Inserted: (3) As President Barack Obama said, "Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would not only be a threat to Israel and a threat to the United States, but would be profoundly destabilizing in the international community as a whole and could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that would be extraordinarily dangerous for all concerned, including for Iran.".

   Inserted: (4) The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly called attention to the illicit nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and, as a result, the United Nations Security Council has adopted a range of sanctions designed to encourage the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to cease those activities and comply with its obligations under the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into force March 5, 1970 (commonly known as the "Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty").

   Inserted: (5) The Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on several Iranian banks, including Bank Melli, Bank Saderat, Bank Sepah, and Bank Mellat, for their involvement in proliferation activities or support for terrorist groups.

   Inserted: (6) The Central Bank of Iran, the keystone of Iran's financial system and its principal remaining lifeline to the international banking system, has engaged in deceptive financial practices and facilitated such practices among banks involved in proliferation activities or support for terrorist groups, including Bank Sepah and Bank Melli, in order to evade sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations.

   Inserted: (7) On April 8, 2009, the United States formally extended an offer to engage in direct diplomacy with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran through negotiations with the five permanent members of the United States Security Council and Germany (commonly referred to as the "P5-plus-1 process"), in the hope of resolving all outstanding disputes between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States.

   Inserted: (8) The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has yet to make a formal reply to the April 8, 2009, offer of direct diplomacy by the United States or to engage in direct diplomacy with the United States through the P5-plus-1 process.

   Inserted: (9) On July 8, 2009, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France warned that the Group of Eight major powers will give the Islamic Republic of Iran until September 2009 to accept negotiations with respect to its nuclear activities or face tougher sanctions.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

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   Inserted: (1) the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran should--

   Inserted: (A) seize the historic offer put forward by President Barack Obama to engage in direct diplomacy with the United States;

   Inserted: (B) suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and work on all heavy-water related projects, including the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water, as demanded by multiple resolutions of the United Nations Security Council; and

   Inserted: (C) come into full compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, including the additional protocol to the Treaty; and

   Inserted: (2) the President should impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian bank engaged in proliferation activities or support for terrorist groups, as well as any other sanctions the President determines appropriate, if--

   Inserted: (A) the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran--

   Inserted: (i) has not accepted the offer by the United States to engage in direct diplomacy through the P5-plus-1 process before the Summit of the Group of 20 (G-20) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in September 2009; or

   Inserted: (ii) has not suspended all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and work on all heavy-water related projects within 60 days of the conclusion of that Summit; and

   Inserted: (B) the United Nations Security Council has failed to adopt significant and meaningful additional sanctions on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle C of title XII, add the following:

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As printed