The PUNISH Act of 2023 is designed to keep economic sanctions against Iran in place and prevent the U.S. government from easing those sanctions. The bill locks in place several existing executive orders and laws that restrict trade with Iran and freeze Iranian assets, particularly targeting Iran's oil, steel, and other key industries.

The core requirement is that before the President can lift or reduce any of these sanctions, the State Department must first certify that Iran has not attempted to assassinate U.S. officials, U.S. citizens, or Iranian nationals living in the United States during the previous five years. The State Department must also check whether Iran has used groups like Hezbollah or Hamas to carry out such attacks. Every six months, the Secretary of State must submit a report to Congress confirming whether Iran has engaged in these activities.

Essentially, this bill ties the President's hands—even if a future administration wanted to negotiate with Iran or ease sanctions as part of a diplomatic deal, they would first need to prove that Iran hasn't attempted any assassinations or politically motivated violence against Americans or Iranian dissidents. The sanctions remain locked in place until the President can make this certification and submit it to Congress. This makes it much harder for any President to change course on Iran policy without congressional involvement.

PUNISH Act of 2023

Ernst, Joni

Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicides Act of 2023 or the PUNISH Act of 2023This bill extends sanctions and national emergencies related to Iran established by specified executive orders and limits the authority of the President to waive sanctions related to Iran. The bill requires the Department of State to periodically report whether Iran or any foreign person has supported specified activities, including murder or politically motivated detention in Iran of a U.S. citizen.