US senate to eye new sanctions on Iran

The US senate is to consider approving a new package of oil and economic sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy program ahead of the upcoming talks between Tehran and the six major world powers (P5+1) in Baghdad.


Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will ask the senate on Thursday to endorse the sanctions bill, which was revised from a version passed in February by the senate banking committee.

The bill was brought by Reid before the senate in March for a unanimous vote, but it failed after some Republican senators asked for amendments such as sanctions on companies that insure trade with Iran.

The sanctions specifically target foreign banks that handle transactions for Iran's national oil and tanker companies and include measures to close loopholes in existing sanctions to reduce chances of avoiding the embargos.

The revised bill also includes non-binding language urging US President Barack Obama’s administration to sanction insurers of Iranian oil shipments.

A Democratic aide said that the revised bill has received strong support from the powerful pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The US House of Representatives has passed its version of the new sanctions package. If the senate agrees to move forward on the bill, the two bodies will then need to agree on how to settle differences.


/PressTV/