Bipartisan US bill seeks to empower Iranians to overthrow government
A new bipartisan bill in the US is pushing for measures to empower Iranians to help overthrow the government in favour of a democratic alternative including facilitating greater internet access and funding for dissidents.
The Maximum Support Act, introduced by Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), would require the administration to develop an aggressive interagency strategy aimed at backing Iranian dissidents who would be pivotal in the process.
Israel's foreign minister said the country is not ruling out a diplomatic path to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, adding that there were signs that there could be indirect talks between Tehran and the United States.
"We don't hold discussions with the Iranians, as you know, but they made it clear they are ready to an indirect negotiations with the US, and I will not be surprised if such negotiations will start," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday following a meeting with his French counterpart in Paris.
“What's important is the objective, and the objective is not to have Iran with nuclear weapon. I think it's international consensus, and we don't exclude the diplomatic path,” he added.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, though hardliners are calling for the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to drop the religious ban on nuclear weapons, an argument that has gained pace in the wake of threats from US President Donald Trump.
Trump recently threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached within a two month deadline, prompting a sharp response from Khamenei, who warned of a "heavy blow in return" if Iran were attacked. The exact start date of Trump's deadline to Iran remains unclear.
According to two US officials cited by Axios, the White House is seriously considering the Iranian proposal for indirect nuclear talks, even as the US military significantly increases its presence in the Middle East.
"Iran is a dangerous state with an extremist regime that works intensively against regional stability, exporting the Islamist revolution and spreading terrorism in the region," Saar said after the meeting with Jean-Noël Barrot.
Since October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel, killing 12,000 mostly civilians and taking more than 250 others hostage, Iran's allies have launched attacks on Israel from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
"The most extremist regime in the world shouldn't possess the most dangerous weapon in the world," he added.
Along with the US, France was pivotal in securing the ceasefire between Israel and Iran's largest proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Following the Lebanese militia's assault on Israel in allegiance with Hamas in Gaza, the archenemies came the closest to war since 2006 before the ceasefire which came into effect in November.
"We shouldn't allow Hezbollah to recover and rearm, and we will not let it happen," said Saar, as the fragile ceasefire continues amid allegations from both sides of breaches.
"Inside Lebanon, there is cooperation between Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and we will not allow terror activities from there against Israel and our civilians. We will not allow to come back to the reality of October 6th on any of Israel's borders."
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it assassinated a Revolutionary Guards member coordinating Hamas and Hezbollah operations in Lebanon.
Hassan Ali Mahmoud Badir, a member of Hezbollah's Unit 3900 and the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, was killed in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
"Badir recently operated in cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, directed Hamas terrorists, and assisted them in planning and advancing a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians," a statement released on Tuesday said.
"Given the immediacy of the threat, Badir was struck immediately in order to eliminate the threat posed by a terror attack intended to harm Israeli civilians."
A new bipartisan bill in the US is pushing for measures to empower Iranians to help overthrow the government in favour of a democratic alternative including facilitating greater internet access and funding for dissidents.
The Maximum Support Act, introduced by Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), would require the administration to develop an aggressive interagency strategy aimed at backing Iranian dissidents who would be pivotal in the process.
The legislation outlines a broad suite of initiatives including facilitating secure communications for activists, appointing a special representative for coordinating support efforts, and forming multi-agency teams to counter online censorship and regime surveillance.
It also calls for offering safe channels for defection by Iranian officials and utilizing information shared by defectors.
“The Iranian regime will fall sooner rather than later,” Wilson said.
“As the fall of Assad in 12 days illustrated, these regimes are a lot weaker than they think they are. I’m grateful to introduce this bipartisan bill which will provide maximum support to the Iranian people in their struggle for democracy and human rights.”
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
Panetta highlighted the importance of focusing on broader Internet access to empower the Iranian public as the government uses crackdowns and censorship as a form of suppression.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
“The Maximum Support Act counters these abuses by bolstering internet freedom, seizing regime assets to aid pro-democracy efforts, and supporting those resisting oppression," he said.
One element involves redirecting seized Iranian assets under US jurisdiction to fund civil society actors inside Iran — including strikers and injured protesters — under what the bill describes as strict vetting and oversight.
The bill urges the administration to evaluate whether Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) could be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The US State Department has said of the organization, "MOIS has a history of wrongfully detaining US nationals and has been designated across various sanctions programs."
Just last month, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), imposed sanctions on three Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) officials who were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of former FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson.
"Reza Amiri Moghadam, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and Taqi Daneshvar, all played a role in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, probable death, and Iran’s efforts to cover up or obfuscate their responsibility," the statement said.
"This action follows the December 2020 OFAC designations of two Iranian MOIS officers, Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, who acted in their capacity as MOIS officers in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, detention, and probable death."
The latest bill has drawn support from advocacy groups. “It’s high time Washington develops a policy that levels the contest between the most anti-American state and the most pro-American street in the region,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said.
“Maximum support for the Iranian people is a perfect complement to maximum pressure, and an increasingly necessary element of the equation with respect to Iran, deal or no deal.”
Andrew Ghalili, senior policy analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, called the measure “the strongest bill ever introduced in support of the Iranian people,” describing it as “exactly the kind of decisive action the US should take to align itself with the Iranian people’s vision for a free Iran.”
The initiative is part of a broader legislative push by the Republican Study Committee. The package includes bills expanding sanctions, limiting waivers for Iranian oil exports, and targeting Iran-backed militias across the region.
Sponsors say this approach combines pressure on Iran’s leadership with tangible backing for its opponents at home.
A former senior Iranian diplomat has warned that certain actors are actively working to prevent improved relations between Iran and the West, emphasizing the need for Tehran to maintain a balanced foreign policy with all global powers.
Jalal Sadatian, who previously served as Iran’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, told the ILNA news website in Tehran: “It is important to recognize that there are serious enemies of Iran’s national interests who do not want to see improved relations with Europe and the United States.”
In recent months, numerous media outlets, political figures, and former officials have cautioned against relying on Russia as a mediator between Tehran and the West, accusing Moscow of seeking to keep Iran within its own geopolitical orbit.
“Maintaining a balanced foreign policy is essential to safeguard the country’s national interests and security,” Sadatian said, adding, “We must remain aware of the severe risks posed by sanctions in order to navigate this critical phase successfully.”
The former diplomat pointed out that the dynamics of the Middle East have shifted dramatically, citing Israeli strikes on Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. He emphasized that the Islamic Republic has effectively lost its military foothold in Syria.
Sadatian also noted a shift in Iraq’s political landscape—one that appears unfavorable to Iran. He highlighted growing pressure from senior Iraqi officials and Shiite religious leaders on pro-Iran militias to either disarm or formally integrate into the Iraqi army.
On the prospect of renewed talks with the United States, Sadatian warned that Tehran must remove “serious and illogical impediments rooted in domestic political disputes.” He added, “We must be aware of the serious dangers posed by sanctions in order to navigate through this phase successfully.”
Chinese independent refineries, known as "teapots," appear to be pausing new orders of Iranian crude oil following Washington's first imposition of sanctions on a Chinese refinery, Shandong-based Shouguang Luqing Petrochemicals.
Iran’s main oil customers are small, independent Chinese refineries, known as "teapots," most of which are based in Shandong, where 90% of Iranian oil cargoes is discharged.
According to market intelligence cited by Kpler, no fresh deals for Iranian crude have been reported since March 20.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told executives from major global banks on Wednesday that Washington is prepared to impose broader sanctions on Iran and called for their cooperation in ramping up financial pressure on the Islamic Republic.
“Our strategy is clear: We will apply economic pressure to the maximum extent possible to disrupt the Iranian regime’s access to the financial resources that fuel its destabilizing activities,” Bessent said. “This includes the billions of dollars Iran generates annually from oil sales.”
During his first term, President Donald Trump imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, targeting its oil exports and foreign banking operations.
Iran’s economy is now in deep crisis, as its reduced oil revenues are no longer sufficient to sustain its energy-dependent economy.
