Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom, and Accountability Act of 2026

Expansion of Internet Access: The bill seeks to facilitate the immediate expansion of unrestricted internet access and civilian lines of communication across Iran (Section 2(b)(2)).

Circumvention of Censorship: The Defense Innovation Unit is directed to develop low-cost, easily scalable technologies—such as low-Earth orbit satellite internet and mesh networking—to help the Iranian population overcome internet blackouts and network disruptions (Section 3(c)(1) and (2)).

Targeting Corruption and Mismanagement: The establishment of the Iran Kleptocracy Initiative is intended to investigate, expose, and disrupt corruption, money laundering, and racketeering by Iranian government officials and their proxies (Section 4(b)(1)).

Support for Journalists: Congress expresses the sense that policy should support independent Iranian journalists and media outlets through grants for equipment, training, and secure communication platforms (Section 6(2)).

Repurposing Illicit Assets: The Iran Kleptocracy Initiative is authorized to coordinate with allies to freeze, forfeit, or seize assets, which may be repurposed for the benefit of the Iranian people or victims of corruption (Section 4(b)(3)(B)).

Impacts of Sanctions: The bill requires a report to analyze the potential impacts of imposing sanctions or debt and equity restrictions on the economy of Iran (Section 4(a)(1)(D) and (E)).

Economic and Sector Exposure: The legislation notes the need to assess how various economic sectors in the United States, such as banking, securities, insurance, and real estate, are exposed to politically affiliated persons and entities from Iran (Section 4(a)(1)(C)).