House Report to National Defense Authorization Act Section on Iran

The House Report (H. Rept. 109-452) to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2007 (H.R. 5122) was published on May 5, 2006 and includes a fairly substantive section on Iran requiring a report from the Department of Defense which describes "the range of U.S. military options, including possible scenarios in which the use of U.S. military force may be appropriate and any limits or obstacles to using such force." Below is the full section.

ADDRESSING THE THREAT POSED BY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

The committee notes that the Islamic Republic of Iran currently poses a serious threat to the security of the United States, as well as to the peace and stability of the international community by continuing dangerous nuclear activities, including development of uranium enrichment capabilities; violating the human rights of the Iranian people; supporting terrorists; calling for the destruction of the State of Israel; creating instability in Iraq; and undermining the spread of freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

Given these circumstances, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Armed Services, by January 31, 2007, a classified report encompassing the present period through 2016, which describes the Department of Defense's (DOD) strategy for addressing current and foreseeable Iranian threats to U.S. security and international security. The report shall describe the range of U.S. military options, including possible scenarios in which the use of U.S. military force may be appropriate and any limits or obstacles to using such force. The report shall also specifically address Iran's nuclear activities; support for terrorists; influence in the Middle East region, particularly Iraq; and any broader destabilizing ambitions of the Iranian regime.

To supplement this report, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide regular, timely briefings to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Armed Services which include detailed political-military assessments of existing and emerging threats posed by Iran to the security of the United States and the peace and stability of the international community, and DOD plans to address such threats. The briefings shall include, as appropriate, coordination of the Department with the Department of State or other relevant government agencies; alternative intelligence analyses from these agencies; the status of negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear activities and involvement in Iraq; and the impact of Iran's nuclear activities, support for terrorists, and influence in Iraq and the Middle East, on the security of the United States and the peace and stability of the international community.

Finally, in the event the U.S. participates in direct talks with Iran on the subject of Iraq, the committee urges the appropriate U.S. officials to address in any such talks the need for Iran to stop the flow of any Iranian-supplied explosives to Iraq, withdraw any presence of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iraq, and end Iranian financial support to insurgent groups in Iraq.