MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has supported the End Iranian Terrorism (End IT) Act, which would require President Joe Biden to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil.

On Jan. 28, Iran-backed forces killed three U.S. military members in a drone strike in Jordan while affiliated terrorist groups continue to target U.S. bases across the Middle East.  

“Iran financially supports the terrorist organizations responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and the deaths of three American service members in Jordan with the money it’s making off selling oil to China. The End IT Act would make President Biden enforce the sanctions that already exist on Iranian petroleum products so that the U.S. can help prevent Tehran from funding more militias dedicated to terrorizing America and our allies,” said Kennedy. 

The End IT Act would require:

• The president to impose sanctions on entities violating U.S. sanctions on Iranian petroleum. 

• An evaluation of the Chinese government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ involvement in smuggling Iranian petroleum into China.

• An assessment of the impact that Iranian petroleum has on global energy markets.

• A plan for monitoring Iranian petroleum smuggling maritime routes, identifying smugglers and seizing and prosecuting assets used to violate U.S. sanctions.

Sens. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced the bill. 

“Since 2021, the Biden Administration’s Iran policy has been characterized by lax sanctions enforcement, the dangerous unfreezing of funds, and the pursuit of a nuclear deal at any cost. In the wake of Hamas’ brutal attacks against Israel, the Biden Administration must change course. Iran has earned a shocking $80B in oil revenue since 2021—mostly from Chinese purchases of Iranian oil. Iran has used these resources to supercharge its terrorist proxies across the Middle East, including Hamas. This legislation rightfully directs the Biden Administration to enforce Iran oil sanctions already on the books and to start taking concrete action to starve the regime of resources,” said Risch.

“The United States should not take China’s evasion of Iranian-related sanctions lightly. Doing so will only increase the chances that we see a repetition of the horrific attacks of October 7. Enacting this legislation would bolster deterrence and further strategize ways in which these sanctions are enforced,” said Rubio.

Full text of the End Iranian Terrorism Act is available here.