Several US Democratic and Republican lawmakers have put forward a bill calling for sanctions on the Iranian drone program and its suppliers.
The lawmakers introduced the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA) to clarify that US sanctions on Iran's conventional weapons program under CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) include supplying, selling, or transferring to or from Iran of unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks indicated that deadly drones in the hands of Iran jeopardize the security of the United States and regional peace.
"Recent Iranian drone attacks on US troops, commercial shipping vessels, and against regional partners, along with the export of drone technology to conflict zones, pose a dire threat," said Meeks.
He noted that SIDA aims to send a strong signal to the international community that support for the Iranian drone program will not be tolerated in Washington.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul warned that Iran's UAV proliferation threatens the US and its allies throughout the Middle East.
"Whether the attack is launched by Iran, the Houthis, Iran-backed militia groups or any other Iran-sponsored entities, these attacks are intolerable."
He claimed that people of the Middle East, including US citizens living there, cannot live in freedom, stability, or prosperity under assault by Iran's drones.
The bill ensures the world knows that the US will use every tool to cut off Iran's UAV supplies and punish those who continue to supply Iran with drones and parts despite their destructive impact.
Last August, the United States, Britain, and Israel blamed Iran for the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which killed two British and Romanian sailors.
The US Treasury Department has issued sanctions against a pair of companies and a handful of individuals for supporting unmanned systems for the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its al-Qods Force.
Among those sanctioned are Brig. Gen. Saeed Aghajani and top IRGC official Abdallah Mehrabi.
US officials have accused Iran of being behind a drone attack on a US base in Syria. Washington believed the drone was supplied by Tehran, but it was not launched from Iran.
