US Senate panel approves new sanctions against Tehran

According to the US based Washington Examiner Magazine, Iran has said any further sanctions would damage Iran's economy and go against language in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aimed at ensuring Iran can pursue economic growth.

Many US former and current officials have been warning that new sanctions against Iran would put the nuclear deal at risk.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted Wednesday that the Senate should 'tread carefully' with the bill.

'There are many tools to up the pressure already in place and at our disposal,' he said. 'We need to weigh/consider risk to JCPOA.'

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday easily passed legislation that would tighten sanctions against Iran, a move the Obama administration had warned against over fears that it puts at risk the Iran nuclear agreement.

The committee passed the bill, authored by committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., in an 18-3 vote.

That vote sets up the possibility of a Senate floor vote in the coming weeks.

When Corker introduced the bill in March, he and Republican and Democratic sponsors claimed that tougher steps need to be taken against what they called Iran's destabilizing actions. According to them, those include ongoing ballistic missile tests in apparent violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

'These steps will allow us to regain the initiative on Iran and push back forcefully against this threat to our security and that of our allies,' Corker claimed.

The bill would impose new mandatory sanctions against people involved with Iran's ballistic missile program. It would also impose terrorism sanctions against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and block assets of people who trade in prohibited arms with Iran.

END