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Iran Policy and the European Union [October 18, 2017]
"On October 13, 2017, President Trump announced a new U.S. strategy on Iran. He stated that, under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA; P.L. 114-17), he would not be certifying that continued Iran sanctions relief is proportionate to the measures taken by Iran to terminate its illicit nuclear program. That and other INARA certification requirements are related to, but separate from, Iran's nuclear obligations under the July 14, 2015, multilateral nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA). The withholding of INARA certification does not automatically end U.S. participation in the JCPOA, which the UK, France, Germany, the United States, Russia, and China negotiated with Iran. But the President linked continued U.S. participation to congressional and allied action to address deficiencies in the JCPOA that he identified in his October 13 statement [...]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mix, Derek E.; Katzman, Kenneth
2017-10-18
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Iran Sanctions [October 13, 2017]
"The multilateral nuclear accord (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) provides Iran broad relief from U.S., U.N., and multilateral sanctions on Iran's civilian economic sectors. On January 16, 2016, upon the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certification that Iran had complied with the stipulated nuclear dismantlement commitments, U.S. Administration waivers of relevant sanctions laws took effect, relevant executive orders (E.O.s) were revoked, and corresponding U.N. and EU sanctions were lifted ('Implementation Day'). Remaining in place have been those secondary sanctions (sanctions on foreign firms) that have been imposed because of Iran's support for terrorism, its human rights abuses, its interference in specified countries in the region, and its missile and advanced conventional weapons programs, as well as sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and designated commanders, subunits, and affiliates. [...] As part of a shift to assertively counter Iran's regional activities and strategic weapons programs, the Trump Administration has designated for sanctions additional missile and IRGC-related entities. The Administration asserts its steps do not conflict with U.S. commitments under the JCPOA and the Administration has continued to implement the agreement, including renewing waivers of sanctions laws suspended in accordance with the JCPOA. Were the Administration to decide to end U.S. participation in the JCPOA, it could revoke waivers, decline to renew waivers, or trigger a provision of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (P.L. 114-17) under which Congress might act on legislation to reimpose sanctions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-10-13
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Doing Business with Iran: EU-Iran Trade and Investment Relations [October 25, 2017]
"With the easing of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran by the United States, European Union and United Nations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed on July 14, 2015, many foreign firms have begun to resume business with Iran. However, on October 13, 2017, President Trump announced he would not issue the certification that sanctions relief is 'proportionate' to the measures taken by Iran to terminate its nuclear program. This decision has raised questions over the possible reimposition of U.S. economic sanctions. The EU, which views the JCPOA as a binding international commitment, is threatening to take action to protect its firms from reimposed secondary sanctions. No matter the actions of EU governments, EU companies might base their responses on a calculation of their economic interests in Iran versus risks to their position in U.S. markets."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino, Cathleen; Katzman, Kenneth
2017-10-25
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The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB): Frequently Asked Questions [October 31, 2017]
"This report responds to frequently asked questions about the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), including the board's background, current status, controversial issues including legal challenges, and recent legislative efforts to repeal the IPAB"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-10-31
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [August 22, 2017]
"The United States, partner countries, and the Afghan government are attempting to reverse recent gains made by the resilient Taliban-led insurgency since the December 2014 transition to a smaller international mission consisting primarily of training and advising the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Afghan government has come under increasing domestic criticism not only for failing to prevent insurgent gains but also for its internal divisions that have spurred the establishment of new political opposition coalitions. In September 2014, the United States brokered a compromise to address a dispute over the 2014 presidential election, but a September 2016 deadline was not met for enacting election reforms and deciding whether to elevate the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position to a prime ministership. The Afghan government has made some measurable progress in reducing corruption and implementing its budgetary and other commitments. It has adopted measures that would enable it to proceed with new parliamentary elections, but no election date has been set."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Clayton, Thomas
2017-08-22
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Iran Sanctions [August 04, 2017]
"U.S. sanctions--and U.S. attempts to achieve imposition of multilateral and international sanctions on Iran--have been a significant component of U.S. Iran policy for several decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, U.S. sanctions were intended to try to compel Iran to cease supporting acts of terrorism and to limit Iran's strategic power in the Middle East more generally. Since the mid-2000s, U.S. sanctions have focused on ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is for purely civilian uses and, since 2010, the international community has cooperated with a U.S.-led and U.N.-authorized sanctions regime in pursuit of that goal. Still, sanctions against Iran have multiple objectives and address multiple perceived threats from Iran simultaneously. This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran and provides some examples, based on open sources, of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran. CRS has no way to independently corroborate any of the reporting on which these examples are based and no mandate to assess whether any firm or other entity is complying with U.S. or international sanctions against Iran."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-08-04
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Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance [November 9, 2010]
"Developing effective Afghan justice sector institutions is considered by many observers to be essential in winning the support of the Afghan population, improving the Afghan government's credibility and legitimacy, and reducing support for insurgent factions. Such sentiments are reinforced in the face of growing awareness of the pervasiveness of Afghan corruption. To this end, establishing the rule of law (ROL) in Afghanistan has become a priority in U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and an issue of interest to Congress. Numerous U.S. programs to promote ROL are in various stages of implementation and receive ongoing funding and oversight from Congress. Major programs include the following: State Department's Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP) and Corrections System Support Program (CSSP); U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) formal and informal ROL stabilization programs (RLS); Justice Department's (DOJ's) Senior Federal Prosecutors Program, which, with State Department funds, provides legal mentoring and training; and Defense Department's (DOD's) operational support through Combined Joint Task Force 101 (CJTF-101), as well as through Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435 (CJIATF-435)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wyler, Liana Sun; Katzman, Kenneth
2010-11-09
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [October 2, 2017]
"The United States, partner countries, and the Afghan government are attempting to reverse recent gains made by the resilient Taliban-led insurgency since the December 2014 transition to a smaller international mission consisting primarily of training and advising the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Afghan government has come under increasing domestic criticism not only for failing to prevent insurgent gains but also for its internal divisions that have spurred the establishment of new political opposition coalitions. In September 2014, the United States brokered a compromise to address a dispute over the 2014 presidential election, but a September 2016 deadline was not met for enacting election reforms and deciding whether to elevate the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position to a prime ministership. The Afghan government has made some measurable progress in reducing corruption and implementing its budgetary and other commitments. It has adopted measures that would enable it to proceed with new parliamentary elections, but no election date has been set."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2017-10-02
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Iran Sanctions [September 15, 2017]
"U.S. sanctions--and U.S. attempts to achieve imposition of multilateral and international sanctions on Iran--have been a significant component of U.S. Iran policy for several decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, U.S. sanctions were intended to try to compel Iran to cease supporting acts of terrorism and to limit Iran's strategic power in the Middle East more generally. Since the mid2000s, U.S. sanctions have focused on ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is for purely civilian uses and, since 2010, the international community has cooperated with a U.S.-led and U.N.authorized sanctions regime in pursuit of that goal. Still, sanctions against Iran have multiple objectives and address multiple perceived threats from Iran simultaneously."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-09-15
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [November 7, 2017]
"The United States, partner countries, and the Afghan government are attempting to reverse recent gains made by the resilient Taliban-led insurgency since the December 2014 transition to a smaller international mission consisting primarily of training and advising the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Afghan government has come under increasing domestic criticism not only for failing to prevent insurgent gains but also for its internal divisions that have spurred the establishment of new political opposition coalitions. In September 2014, the United States brokered a compromise to address a dispute over the 2014 presidential election, but a September 2016 deadline was not met for enacting election reforms and deciding whether to elevate the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position to a prime ministership. The Afghan government has made some measurable progress in reducing corruption and implementing its budgetary and other commitments. It has adopted measures that would enable it to proceed with new parliamentary elections, but no election date has been set."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2017-11-07
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Iran Nuclear Agreement [September 15, 2017]
"Multilateral negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program date back to 2003 after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on the existence of clandestine nuclear facilities at Natanz. In October of that year, Iran concluded an agreement with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom under which Iran temporarily suspended aspects of its nuclear program, including enrichment of uranium, and signed an Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement, but also asserted its right to develop nuclear technology. In January 2006, Tehran announced that it would resume research and development on its centrifuges at Natanz. After that time, Iran held multiple rounds of talks with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (collectively known as the P5+1)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Kerr, Paul K.
2017-09-15
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Iran: Efforts to Preserve Economic Benefits of the Nuclear Deal [Updated February 26, 2019]
"On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the United States would cease implementing U.S. commitments under the 2015 multilateral Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. On November 5, 2018, at the end of a 'wind down period,' all pre-JCPOA U.S. sanctions on foreign firms that conduct transactions in all of Iran's core economic sectors, including energy, banking, shipping, and manufacturing, went back into effect. These include sanctions on 'petroleum-related transactions' and transactions by foreign banks with Iran's Central Bank. In addition, foreign firms that transact business with entities designated by the United States for sanctions could face virtual exclusion from the U.S. economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Katzman, Kenneth; Mix, Derek E.
2019-02-26
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Coalition-Building Against Iran [March 12, 2019]
From the Document: "As part of its efforts to maximize pressure on Iran, the Trump Administration is urging a wide variety of international actors to adopt Iran policies similar and complementary to those of the United States. The Administration arguably is attempting to isolate Iran politically and diplomatically by fashioning a multilateral 'coalition of the willing' consisting of U.S. allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is implementing its strategy in international issue-focused meetings, special U.S.-organized and long established multilateral forums such as the United Nations, and bilateral discussions. One particular, although not exclusive, goal is to persuade the other JCPOA parties to follow the Trump Administration's May 2018 step of abrogating the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA), and reimpose economic sanctions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-03-12
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [September 25, 2018]
"Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor...' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region.... 'Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-09-25
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Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [October 11, 2018]
"An uprising against Bahrain's Al Khalifa ruling family that began on February 14, 2011, has diminished in intensity, but punishments of oppositionists and periodic demonstrations continue. The mostly Shiite opposition to the Sunni-minority-led regime has not achieved its goal of establishing a constitutional monarchy, but the unrest has compelled the ruling family to undertake some modest reforms. The mainstream opposition uses peaceful forms of dissent, but small factions, reportedly backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for bombings and other attacks on security officials. The Bahrain government's repression has presented a policy dilemma for the United States because Bahrain is along time ally that is pivotal to maintaining Persian Gulf security. The country has hosted a U.S. naval command headquarters for the Gulf region since 1948; the United States and Bahrain have had a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) since 1991; and Bahrain was designated by the United States as a 'major non-NATO ally' in 2002. There are over 7,000 U.S. forces, mostly Navy, in Bahrain. Bahrain relies on U.S.-made arms, but, because of the government's use of force against protesters, the Obama Administration held up some new weapons sales to Bahrain and curtailed U.S. assistance to Bahrain's internal security organizations. In 2014, Bahrain joined the U.S. - led coalition against the Islamic State and flew strikes against the group's fighters in Syria that year, and has expressed willingness to join a U.S.-backed concept for a broad Arab coalition to counter Iran (Middle East Strategic Alliance)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-10-11
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Efforts to Preserve Economic Benefits of the Iran Nuclear Deal [June 27, 2018]
"On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would cease implementing U.S. commitments under the 2015 multilateral Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. He indicated that, by the end of a 'wind down period' (by November 4, 2018), all U.S. sanctions in place prior to the JCPOA--which target foreign firms that conduct transactions in all of Iran's core economic sectors, including energy, banking, shipping, insurance, manufacturing, and hard currency trading--would go back into effect. These include sanctions on 'petroleum-related transactions' and transactions by foreign banks with Iran's Central Bank. Several hundred Iranian and third country entities will again be designated by the United States as sanctioned entities, meaning that foreign firms that transact business with these entities could face exclusion from the U.S. economy and financial system."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Katzman, Kenneth; Mix, Derek E.
2018-06-27
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [May 23, 2018]
"Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor ...' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region....' Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-05-23
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Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated February 5, 2019]
"An uprising against Bahrain's Al Khalifa ruling family that began on February 14, 2011, has diminished in intensity, but punishments of oppositionists and periodic demonstrations continue. The mostly Shia opposition to the Sunni-minority-led regime has not achieved its goal of establishing a constitutional monarchy, but the unrest has compelled the ruling family to undertake some modest reforms. The mainstream opposition uses peaceful forms of dissent, but small factions, reportedly backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for attacks on security officials. Elections for a legislative body, held most recently during November 24-December 1, 2018, were marred by the banning of opposition political societies and allegations of gerrymandering to prevent opposition victories, but observers praised the newly elected lower house of the Assembly for naming a woman as its speaker."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-02-05
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated January 16, 2019]
"Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. The Trump Administration has defined Iran and its regime as a particularly significant threat to U.S. national security, accusing the regime of 'destructive behavior at home and abroad.' Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region.' Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-01-16
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Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated March 4, 2019]
From the Document: "Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades- long U.S. effort to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with U.S. military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. Kuwait and the United States have a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), under which the United States maintains over 13,000 military personnel in country and prepositioned military equipment in Kuwait to project power in the region. Only Germany, Japan, and South Korea host more U.S. troops than does Kuwait, which hosts the operational command center for U.S.- led Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) that has combatted the Islamic State."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-03-04
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated March 15, 2019]
From the Document: "Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge. The Trump Administration encapsulated its assessment of the threat posed by Iran in a late September 2018 State Department report entitled 'Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities.' The report outlines Iran's malign activities as well as a litany of other activities the Administration termed 'the Iranian regime's destructive behavior at home and abroad.' The U.S. intelligence community testified in January 2019 that 'Iran's regional ambitions and improved military capabilities almost certainly will threaten U.S. interests in the coming year, driven by Tehran's perception of increasing U.S., Saudi, and Israeli hostility, as well as continuing border insecurity, and the influence of hardliners.' Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-03-15
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Iran Sanctions [Updated May 21, 2019]
From the Overview and Objectives: "This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran. CRS [Congressional Research Service] has no way to independently corroborate whether any individual or other entity might be in violation of U.S. or international sanctions against Iran. The report tracks 'implementation' of the various U.S. laws and executive orders as designations and imposition of sanctions. Some sanctions require the blocking of U.S.-based property of sanctioned entities. CRS has not obtained information from the executive branch indicating that such property has been blocked, and it is possible that sanctioned entities do not have any U.S. assets that could be blocked."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-05-21
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated May 8, 2019]
From the Introduction: "Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge. The Trump Administration encapsulated its assessment of the threat posed by Iran in a late September 2018 State Department report entitled 'Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities.' It outlines Iran's malign activities as well as a litany of other activities the Administration terms 'the Iranian regime's destructive behavior at home and abroad.' The U.S. intelligence community testified in January 2019 that 'Iran's regional ambitions and improved military capabilities almost certainly will threaten U.S. interests in the coming year, driven by Tehran's perception of increasing U.S., Saudi, and Israeli hostility, as well as continuing border insecurity, and the influence of hardliners.' An annual Defense Department report on Iran's military power required by successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs), generally contain assessments similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-05-08
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated July 23, 2019]
From the Introduction: "Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge. The Trump Administration assessed the threat posed by Iran in a September 2018 State Department report entitled 'Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities,' which outlined Iran's a litany of Iranian actions that the Administration terms 'the Iranian regime's destructive behavior at home and abroad.' The U.S. intelligence community testified in January 2019 that 'Iran's regional ambitions and improved military capabilities almost certainly will threaten U.S. interests in the coming year, driven by Tehran's perception of increasing U.S., Saudi, and Israeli hostility, as well as continuing border insecurity, and the influence of hardliners.' An annual Defense Department report on Iran's military power required by successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) generally contain assessments similar to those presented by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-07-23
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Iran Sanctions [Updated July 12, 2019]
From the Summary: "Successive Administrations have used sanctions extensively to try to change Iran's behavior. Sanctions have had a substantial effect on Iran's economy but little, if any, observable effect on Iran's conventional defense programs or regional malign activities. During 2012-2015, when the global community was relatively united in pressuring Iran, Iran's economy shrank as its crude oil exports fell by more than 50%, and Iran had limited ability to utilize its $120 billion in assets held abroad. [...] On April 22, 2019, the Administration announced it would not renew any SREs [Significant Reduction Exceptions] when they expire on May 2, 2019, instead seeking to drive Iran's oil exports as close to zero as possible. On May 3, 2019, the Administration ended some waivers for foreign governments to provide technical assistance to some JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]-permitted aspects of Iran's nuclear program. The economic difficulties and other U.S. pressure measures have prompted Iran to cease performing some of the nuclear commitments of the JCPOA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-07-12
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Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated July 31, 2019]
From the Document: "Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades-long U.S. effort to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with U.S. military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. Kuwait and the United States have a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), under which the United States maintains over 13,000 military personnel in country and prepositions military equipment to project power in the region. Only Germany, Japan, and South Korea host more U.S. troops than does Kuwait, which has hosted the operational command center for U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) that has combatted the Islamic State since 2014."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-07-31
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Iran and Israel: Tension Over Syria [Updated June 5, 2019]
From the Document: "Iranian military operations in support of the Syrian government since 2011 have exacerbated longstanding tensions between Iran and Israel. These tensions have worsened considerably since late 2016 as Iran has helped Syria's government regain key territory, and in turn has sought a more permanent military presence in Syria. Israeli officials have described the deployment of Iran-backed forces in Syria--particularly in the southwest, near Israel's northern border--as a significant security threat compelling Israeli action. In January 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel had struck Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria 'hundreds of times.' In 2018, Israeli and Iranian forces repeatedly targeted one another in and over Syrian- and Israeli-controlled areas. While Israel had conducted numerous air strikes inside Syria since 2012--mostly on targets linked to weapons shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah--the 2018 strikes appeared for the first time to have directly targeted Iranian infrastructure in Syria, and reportedly killed dozens of Iranian personnel. In articulating their 'redlines,' Israeli leaders indicated that Israel would act in Syria to prevent Iran from establishing permanent military bases or weapons factories, and opening new 'terror fronts' against Israel. They also suggested that Israel might attack Iran directly if Iran-backed attacks target major Israeli cities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.; Katzman, Kenneth; Zanotti, Jim
2019-06-05
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Oman: Politics, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated January 27, 2020]
From the Document: "The Sultanate of Oman has been a strategic partner of the United States since 1980, when it became the first Persian Gulf state to sign a formal accord permitting the U.S. military to use its facilities. Oman has hosted U.S. forces during every U.S. military operation in the region since then, and it is a partner in U.S. efforts to counter terrorist groups and related regional threats. The January 2020 death of Oman's longtime leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id Al Said, is unlikely to alter U.S.-Oman ties or Oman's regional policies. His successor, Haythim bin Tariq Al Said, a cousin selected by Oman's royal family immediately upon the Sultan's death, espouses policies similar to those of Qaboos."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2020-01-27
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Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated October 28, 2019]
From the Summary: "Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades-long U.S. effort to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with U.S. military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. Kuwait and the United States have a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), under which the United States maintains over 13,000 military personnel in country and prepositions military equipment to be able to project power in the region."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-10-28
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Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated February 24, 2020]
From the Summary: "A 2011 uprising by a mostly Shia opposition to the Sunni-minority-led regime of Bahrain's Al Khalifa ruling family has subsided, but punishments of oppositionists and periodic demonstrations continue. The uprising did not achieve its goal of establishing a constitutional monarchy, but the unrest compelled the ruling family to undertake some modest reforms. Elections for the lower house of a legislative body, last held in 2018, were marred by the banning of opposition political societies and allegations of gerrymandering. The mainstream opposition uses peaceful forms of dissent, but small factions, reportedly backed by Iran, have conducted some attacks on security officials. The government's repression presents a policy dilemma for the United States because Bahrain is a longtime ally that is pivotal to maintaining Persian Gulf security. The country has hosted a U.S. naval command headquarters for the Gulf region since 1948; the United States and Bahrain have had a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) since 1991; and Bahrain is designated by the United States as a 'major non-NATO ally.' There are nearly 5,000 U.S. forces, mostly Navy, in Bahrain, which relies on U.S.-made arms. Because of the government's use of force against protesters, both the Obama and Trump Administrations curtailed U.S. assistance to Bahrain's internal security organizations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2020-02-24
