US Senate Passes Bill on Iran, Russia Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to impose new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea, despite opposition from President Donald Trump to a section of the legislation.
The Senate backed the bill by a margin of 98-2 on Thursday, Reuters reported.
The measure has angered Russian President Vladimir Putin who threatened to retaliate against the US.
The legislation will now be sent to President Trump to sign into law or veto. He could veto the bill, but there is a chance that Congress could override his veto with a two-thirds vote.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives already passed the bill on Tuesday in a 419-3 vote to impose new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea.
But the decision by House Republicans to impose new sanctions against Pyongyang had gotten pushback from senators, who were working on their own sanctions bill.
On Wednesday, US lawmakers reportedly reached a deal on the sanctions legislation after a push to add in North Korea had threatened to complicate the bill's path forward.
Corker said lawmakers had "an agreement that will allow us to send sanctions legislation to the president's desk," after holding discussions with Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The so-called Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act – Russia sanctions were attached to it – was first passed in a 98-2 vote in mid-June, but was held up in the House after Republicans proposed that North Korea sanctions be included in the bill.
The new Senate legislation is the result of a congressional deal reached between Republicans and Democrats and is particularly aimed at punishing Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and the reunion of Crimea with Russia.
The reunion happened after about 97 percent voters of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea backed "going home" in a referendum on March 16, 2014 following a 23-year stay in Ukraine.
Speaking hours before the Senate passed the legislation on Thursday, Republican Senate hawk John McCain said, "The United States of America needs to send a strong message to Vladimir Putin and any other aggressor that we will not tolerate attacks on our democracy."
"The Senate will move to approve the Iran and Russia sanctions it originally passed six weeks ago, as well as the North Korea sanctions developed by the House," Republican Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said on Wednesday evening.
