Senate Forges Ahead with Iran Sanctions Bill
A bipartisan group of 16 senators introduced the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015, S-269 (here), on Jan. 27, after repeated threats of a veto from President Barack Obama. Passage of the bill will threaten ongoing negotiations between Iran and P5+1 countries, which the U.S. is a part of, said Obama in his State of the Union (see 1501200072).
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The Obama administration has pledged to restore sanctions lifted through the Joint Action Plan if the sides don’t reach a nuclear enrichment agreement by June 30 (see 1411280032). That relief has so far cut restrictions on Iranian petrochemical exports, gold and precious metal trade and other sectors.
The legislation won’t target imports in any way, but calls for continued sanctions against Iran over human rights abuses, support for the Syrian regime and proliferation involvement. The measure also would require the administration to send Congress the text of a deal on a long-term solution or to extend sanctions relief currently underway within five days of striking the deal. If the administration fails to submit that text, as well as Treasury and State department reports, the legislation outlines a series of rounds of sanctions, starting on July 6 and increasing each of the rest of the months of 2015.
The July round of sanctions would reinstate the sanctions lifted through the Joint Plan of Action. The next rounds target petroleum trade and Iranian citizens, and the bill gives a wide range of criteria for Iranians authorized for sanctions. Further down the line in the sanctions rollout, Iranian ports and special economic zones will also be subject to restrictions.