US Congress Iran sanctions bill looms over progress in US-Iran relations

Congress OKs Republican led bill that targets the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. This despite President Obama threatens to veto the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act as according to the White House it could cause "the collapse" of the nuclear agreement.

KPIC Roseburg Oregon reports that lawmakers voted 246-181 to pass the legislation which would bar the removal of financial institutions and individuals from the government's restricted list until the President would certify to Congress that those on the list weren't involved in Iran's terrorist activities.

According to US News, this undermines the ongoing progress in US-Iran relations. Since US lifted sanctions from Iran, the world has witnessed the progressive breakthroughs because of the accord. Iran shrunk its nuclear program, dismantled centrifuges, shipped uranium overseas, and closed its Arak reactor, which reduces its capacity to create plutonium. These have been widely praised by other nations saying "it's some of the most sweeping inspections and transparency obligations in history."

The Washington Free Beacon has reported that the passed bill could interfere with or even violate the nuclear agreement, which included blocking US states from creating new sanctions to the Islamic Republic.

Rep. Ron DeSantis and a delegation of other House lawmakers claim they are in a bid to protect these state rights saying, "States such as Florida that have imposed sanctions against Iran play a vital role in protecting the security of the American people." He further called the Obama administration's deal with Iran as disastrous as it "neither ratified as a treaty nor adopted as statutory law, and therefore cannot pre-empt valid state laws. The State Sanctions against Iranian Terrorism Act will preserve, protect, and enhance the authority of individual states to pass laws ensuring that their dollars do not flow to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism."

Grassroot advocates all across the United States, however, have celebrated the accord as the country finally used pro-diplomacy, peaceful solutions over confrontation. 

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Congress, Iran, nuclear deal, US-Iran relations, White House, Republican, bill, Barack Obama, veto

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