Iran’s frozen assets need leverage before confiscation

When I first argued that Congress should create a framework for Iran’s frozen assets, the principle was simple: release for compliance, confiscation for defiance. That principle still stands. What the legislative work that followed has clarified is the sequence required for it to be effective.

Before Congress creates a broader mechanism for confiscating Iranian assets, it must first ensure that those assets can be identified, preserved, conditioned, and maintained as leverage long enough to influence Iranian behavior. A discussion draft has now been presented that focuses specifically on that preliminary stage: strengthening and preserving the leverage itself.