House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), 2018. (Photo: McCaul for Congress)

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Tuesday introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring that it is the policy of the United States that a nuclear Iran is “not acceptable” and that the US should use “all means necessary” to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The proposed bill, co-sponsored by seven other congressmen, comes as the US and European countries continue to pursue diplomacy with Iran to solve the nuclear issue.

The resolution cites International Atomic Energy Agency findings from January that Iran has enriched uranium to 83.7% purity – just shy of the 90% threshold regarded as “weapons grade” – and quoted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley’s Congressional testimony in March that Iran could produce enough fissile material for a bomb in less than two weeks.

“In the face of unprecedented nuclear provocations from the Iranian regime, it is vital the United States make clear that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable,” McCaul said in a statement. “I am proud to lead this bipartisan resolution declaring with no ambiguity that Iran must not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon, and that the United States is willing to use all means necessary to prevent a nuclear Iran. Nothing is off the table.”

The resolution follows a pair of bipartisan letters earlier in June addressed to President Biden, signed by a majority of the House and 26 Senators, urging Biden to take additional actions to prevent a nuclear Iran. The letters also urged Biden to work with the UK, France and Germany (the E3) to initiate the sanctions snapback provisions of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal should Iran enrich uranium beyond 90% purity.

According to Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Khan, the E3 met with Iran in the United Arab Emirates earlier in June to discuss “a range of issues and mutual concerns.” Bagheri Khan also met in Qatar with the European Union’s mediator Enrique Mora, who said that the two had discussed “a range of difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action],” the formal name of the Iran nuclear deal.

The Trump administration attempted to initiate snapback in 2018 despite having already withdrawn from the nuclear deal. The deal’s other participants, which also include China and Russia, rejected the Trump administration’s interpretation that it could impose snapback post-withdrawal and did not re-impose sanctions on Iran. Since the US has not rejoined the nuclear deal, snapback would have to be initiated by US allies still party to the agreement.

While neither the letters nor McCaul’s resolution condemn the Biden administration’s diplomacy with Iran, they come amid increasing concern over a possible informal nuclear agreement or entente between the US and Iran following an “exchange of messages” between the two countries in Oman in May.

McCaul on 15 June wrote a letter to President Biden describing his handling of negotiations with Iran as “reckless” and “disturbing.” He also asserted that even an informal nuclear agreement with Iran would have to be reviewed by Congress under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.