A new legislative push in Washington seeks to designate Iran’s most influential regime clerics and institutions as global terrorists for issuing fatwas that the bill says incite assassination, violence, and executions.
A major sanctions bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in response to what lawmakers describe as state-linked clerical incitement of violence by Iran’s religious establishment. Representative Keith Self (R-TX) announced the introduction of H.R. 6230 — The Tehran Incitement to Violence Act and signaled intent to press House leadership to move the measure quickly following firm committee support.
According to Rep. Self, the purpose of the legislation is to hold Iran’s senior clerics and linked institutions accountable for concrete actions that the bill characterizes as promoting terrorism and violent punishments.
Rep. Keith Self’s Message to Congress
Rep. Self framed the bill as a targeted effort to sanction officials for actions undertaken in their official capacities as religious leaders. He emphasized that the measure focuses on specific individuals and entities that have either issued or amplified fatwas and declarations that, in his view, encourage violent punishments—including execution, assassination, crucifixion, or amputation—under the charge of Moharebeh (waging war against God).
He also explained that the bill would apply conventional U.S. sanctions mechanisms: designated persons would face restrictions on engaging in business with U.S. persons, owning property subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and obtaining U.S. visas or entry. In short, the legislation aims to treat those designated individually under existing U.S. sanctions law in the same manner as other persons sanctioned for terrorism-related activity.
What the “Tehran Incitement to Violence Act” Proposes
The bill seeks to designate leading regime clerics and institutions as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Executive Order 13224 and related authorities. It directs the State and Treasury Departments to determine whether listed individuals and entities meet criteria for terrorist designation and to report to Congress on a recurring basis.
Key Findings Summarized in the Bill
The text of H.R. 6230 lays out a series of findings that connect religious edicts and online activity to concrete threats, including:
- A senior cleric, Abdolmajid Kharghani, is cited for publicly revealing an online fundraising plan allegedly aimed at assassinating U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and for claiming such plots could be executed in Europe for a stated $10–$20 million.
- Following those remarks, an online platform (THAAR.IR) reportedly launched a fundraising campaign that the site claims has raised more than $20 million to support the alleged assassination efforts; the bill notes this figure has not been independently verified.
- Several senior Iranian clerics and state-linked religious institutions have, according to the bill, labeled Presidents and Prime Ministers with charges—such as Mohareb, Mahdur al-Dam, Mufsid fil-Arz, and Kafir Harbi—which the bill states, under Iranian law and historical practice, have been used to justify extreme punishments including the death penalty and other brutal measures.
Fatwas and Clerical Endorsements
The bill documents fatwas and public statements by influential clerics, including Hossein Mazaheri, Jafar Sobhani, Naser Makarem-Shirazi, and Hossein Nouri Hamedani, which it characterizes as calls for violent punishment or assassination of designated foreign leaders. The bill frames those religious rulings as incitements that place targeted individuals at risk.
Alireza Panahian and Ideological Networks
H.R. 6230 highlights the role of Alireza Panahian, identifying him as a senior ideological figure tied to the IRGC, IRGC intelligence/security organs, and inner clerical-security networks—roles that the bill says link him to extremist indoctrination and to promotion of an apocalyptic doctrine (Mahdism) that advocates violent confrontation with Israel.
Institutional Involvement
The legislation points to institutional endorsement of these rulings, noting that the Qom Seminary—and its leadership—are alleged to have supported the Moharebeh charges. The bill asserts that professors, administrators, and students associated with the seminary publicly declared readiness to carry out the fatwas.
Other institutions named in the bill include Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, the Expediency and Discernment Council, and the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom—each presented as part of the network that promulgates or amplifies the clerical edicts described.
Designation Criteria and Sanctions Mechanisms
H.R. 6230 specifies that designations should be based on established U.S. authorities and prior sanctions frameworks (including Executive Order 13224 and several Iran-related executive orders). The bill would require an initial determination within 90 days of enactment and periodic reviews every 180 days for up to six years, enabling sustained scrutiny of listed individuals and entities.
Designated persons and organizations would face standard sanctions remedies: blocking of U.S.-based property and interests, restrictions on business and financial transactions, and visa and travel bans.
Why the Bill Matters
Supporters of the measure argue it confronts a dangerous mix of ideological indoctrination and operational threat: religious rulings that, in their view, explicitly call for or enable violent acts against foreign leaders and that are amplified by state-linked networks and media. The bill frames these acts as direct threats to U.S. and allied security.
By targeting both individuals and institutions at the center of Iran’s clerical power structure, the legislation aims to impose concrete legal and financial consequences on those it identifies as inciters and facilitators of violence.
Conclusion
The “Tehran Incitement to Violence Act” represents a significant escalation in U.S. legislative action aimed at Iran regime’s religious establishment. If enacted, the bill would expand the use of terrorism and human-rights sanctions authorities to focus on clerical actors and state-linked institutions that U.S. lawmakers argue have issued or promoted rulings amounting to an incitement of violence. The measure would seek to constrain those figures through repeated designation reviews and standard sanctions tools, signaling a tougher posture toward the ideological drivers of state-linked extremism in Iran.
