New Act Grants Congress Veto Power Over Presidential Iran Sanctions Relief, Creating 30-Day Policy Bottleneck

The Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2025 is a legislative move designed to put Congress directly in the driver’s seat when it comes to easing sanctions on Iran. Simply put, this bill establishes a mandatory Congressional review period—either 30 or 60 days—before the President can take any action that terminates, waives, or significantly alters sanctions against Iran. During this time, the Executive Branch is effectively paralyzed, unable to implement the change unless Congress explicitly says, "Go ahead," or fails to act. This process applies to any relevant sanctions imposed under laws like the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 or even specific Executive Orders.

The New Policy Speed Bump: 30 Days to Wait

Think of this bill as installing a mandatory, lengthy, and highly politicized waiting period on foreign policy. Before the President can announce any significant policy shift—say, waiving sanctions related to oil exports to encourage de-escalation—they must first submit a detailed report to specific Congressional committees, including the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees. This report must detail the proposed action, why it’s being taken, and what effect it’s expected to have on U.S. national security. If the report is submitted during the summer legislative slowdown (July 10th to September 7th), the waiting period automatically doubles to 60 days. This means that even if a diplomatic opportunity suddenly arises, the President has to put the brakes on and wait for the legislative calendar to tick down.

Congressional Veto Power: The Disapproval Resolution

The real teeth of this bill lie in the “joint resolution of disapproval” mechanism. During that 30- or 60-day review period, Congress can introduce a resolution to formally block the President’s proposed action. The bill sets up fast-track procedures, including automatic committee discharge rules and strict limits on debate, to ensure these disapproval resolutions can move quickly through both chambers. If Congress passes this resolution, the President is barred from taking the action. Even if the President vetoes the disapproval resolution, they are still blocked from acting while Congress considers an override. Critically, if Congress ultimately enacts a joint resolution of disapproval, the President is permanently barred from taking that specific action, effectively giving Congress the power to veto specific foreign policy decisions related to Iran sanctions relief.

Who Feels the Pinch?

For the Executive Branch, this is a significant curtailment of power. Foreign policy often requires flexibility and speed, especially in crisis situations or during sensitive negotiations. This bill removes that flexibility, forcing the President to gain Congressional consent—or risk being blocked—on every major move related to Iran sanctions relief. This could make it much harder for the U.S. to use sanctions relief as a diplomatic tool, potentially complicating future negotiations. While increased Congressional oversight offers greater accountability, the structure of this bill seems designed to make it incredibly difficult to ease sanctions, concentrating substantial foreign policy control within the legislative branch. For international businesses or humanitarian organizations hoping for targeted sanctions waivers, this means the path forward just got a lot longer and more uncertain, as any relief now requires navigating a guaranteed political bottleneck on Capitol Hill.