Iran Nuclear Agreement: CRS Experts

Iran Nuclear Agreement: CRS Experts

Iran Nuclear Agreement: CRS Experts

August 17, 2015 (R44139)

Introduction

Congress is currently in a period of formal review, being conducted on the basis of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (P.L. 114-17), of the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA) nuclear agreement concluded between Iran and six negotiating powers ("P5+1") on July 14. The period for initial congressional review under the Act is to conclude on September 17. The agreement has raised a wide variety of questions in Congress. Issues include the specific terms of the deal; the implications for inspections, proliferation, and sanctions; the broader political context in the region and beyond; and impacts on U.S. and global oil markets. Questions also arise with regard to legal aspects of the deal and the procedures for congressional review. The table below provides contact information for the CRS experts covering various aspects of this JCPOA evaluation.

For further background on the JCPOA, see CRS Report R43333, Iran Nuclear Agreement, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

For additional background on international sanctions on Iran, see CRS Report RS20871, Iran Sanctions, by [author name scrubbed], and CRS Report R43311, Iran: U.S. Economic Sanctions and the Authority to Lift Restrictions, by [author name scrubbed].

For additional information on Iran's nuclear program, see CRS Report R40094, Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations, by [author name scrubbed].

For additional analysis on some of the regional implications of the Iran agreement, see CRS Report RL33476, Israel: Background and U.S. Relations, by [author name scrubbed]; CRS Report R43612, The "Islamic State" Crisis and U.S. Policy, by [author name scrubbed] et al.; CRS Report R43960, Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention, by [author name scrubbed]; and CRS Report RL33487, Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response, coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

For additional analysis on implications of the eventual lifting of the U.N. ban on arms sales as well as for U.S.-Iran relations, see CRS Report RL32048, Iran, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy, by [author name scrubbed].

For information on the procedures for congressional review, see CRS Report R44085, Procedures for Congressional Action in Relation to a Nuclear Agreement with Iran: In Brief, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

CRS Experts

Legislative Issues

Name/Title

Phone

Email

General Overview of the JCPOA, General Policy Towards Iran

General overview of the JCPOA, U.S. policy towards Iran

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

General overview of the JCPOA

Paul Kerr,
Analyst in Nonproliferation

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

U.S. and International Sanctions Towards Iran

Economic sanctions on Iran

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

U.S. economic sanctions on Iran and the authority to lift restrictions, legislative parameters in regards to state sponsors of international terrorism, UN sanctions procedure

Dianne Rennack,
Specialist in Foreign Policy Legislation

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

EU sanctions on Iran

Derek Mix,
Analyst in European Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Global Oil Market

Iran in the global oil market, the Strait of Hormuz

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

The global oil economy, Iranian oil market, U.S. crude oil policy

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Energy Economics

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Legislative Issues: U.S. oil exports in relationship to displacing Iranian oil

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

International Response to the JCPOA

Persian Gulf states

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

The Islamic State and Al Qaeda-Affiliated groups, armed conflict in Syria, Iraq

Carla Humud,
Analyst in Middle Eastern and African Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Civil war in Yemen, Egypt, the Islamic State

Jeremy Sharp,
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Persian Gulf states, armed conflict in Syria, the Islamic State, Hezbollah, Sunni/Shiite dynamics

Christopher Blanchard,
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Israel, Palestine, Turkey, Hamas

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

European response to the deal

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in European Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Derek Mix,
Analyst in European Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed],
Analyst in European Affairs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Congressional Procedures in Regards to JCPOA

Procedures for congressional action in relation to a nuclear agreement with Iran

Richard Beth,
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed],
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Christopher Davis,
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

International Law, Human Rights

International law and agreements with regards to JCPOA

Michael Garcia,
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Efforts to obtain compensation for the 1979-1981 Iran Hostage Crisis, international law applying to the Iran Hostage Crisis, terrorism lawsuits against Iran

Jennifer Elsea,
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

United Nations, Human rights in Iran, Women's rights in Iran

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in International Relations

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Weaponry, Iranian Missile Program, Nonproliferation

Iranian compliance with international obligations, technical details of Iran's nuclear program, IAEA safeguards and verification

Paul Kerr,
Analyst in Nonproliferation

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

IAEA, other nonproliferation agreements

Mary Beth Nikitin,
Specialist in Nonproliferation

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Arms control, verification

Amy Woolf,
Specialist in Nuclear Weapons Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Iranian ballistic missile program, Iranian space program

Steven Hildreth,
Specialist in U.S. and Foreign National Security Programs

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Nuclear energy policy, nuclear cooperation with foreign countries, nuclear power and fuel cycle technology

[author name scrubbed],
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Coordinator, Section Research Manager ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Acknowledgments

David Tramonte, CRS Research Associate, contributed to this report