Defying U.S. Law, Biden Administration Fails to Report on Iran’s Nuclear Program

Latest Developments

The Biden administration is defying U.S. law by failing to submit congressionally mandated reports on the status of Iran’s nuclear program, a Wall Street Journal editorial noted on July 10. Pursuant to the Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Act of 2022, the director of national intelligence (DNI) is required to submit a report to Congress every six months assessing “any uranium enrichment, nuclear weapons development, delivery vehicle development, and associated engineering and research activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” However, the administration has missed two deadlines this year “in violation of the law,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explained in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Director Avril Haines on July 10. Graham, one of the law’s authors, observed that Iran has increased its stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium which, he warns, is only “a small technical step away from weapons grade 90% purity.” Graham threatened to hold up DNI nominations and withhold funding from the agency until the administration complies with the law.

Expert Analysis

“Congress and the American people deserve a timely assessment of the status of Iran’s nuclear program — particularly Tehran’s nuclear weapons development. Considering new intelligence information about the Islamic Republic conducting covert weaponization work, the administration must expeditiously meet these legal requirements — otherwise, we are left wondering what they aren’t telling us.” — Andrea Stricker, FDD Research Fellow and Deputy Director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program

“Iran is vastly expanding its enrichment capacity, building a new underground facility and reportedly working on computer modeling for nuclear weapons. The intelligence community should be over-communicating with Congress about the threat, not under-communicating.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

The Biden Administration’s Lax Iran Policy

Upon taking office, the Biden administration pledged that Washington would resume diplomacy with Iran and revive the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. However, Tehran rejected America’s overtures, including Biden’s robust sanctions relief, and intensified its malign conduct, including its nuclear program, which remains on the threshold of a nuclear weapons capability.

Meanwhile, Washington has pushed back against international attempts to censure Iran for its nonproliferation violations. On May 27, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States was blocking European states from pursuing a formal censure of Iran at the June board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), despite a push by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. According to the Journal, the “U.S. has pressed a number of other countries to abstain in a censure vote, saying that is what Washington will do.” The IAEA ultimately passed the censure resolution on June 5.

Related Analysis

“What to Know About Iran’s Nuclear Program,” FDD Visual

“Iran to Significantly Increase Nuclear Enrichment Plant’s Breakout Capability,” FDD Flash Brief

“Tehran’s Possible New Enrichment Plant,” by Andrea Stricker