Majlis Preparing Response to American Sanctions Bill

A bill is under consideration by the parliament as a "proportionate" response to the US Congress' push for a new set of sanctions against Iran, the Majlis speaker said.

"The Majlis has prepared a bill in proportion to the new US sanctions," Ali Larijani told reporters on Tuesday, the same day the US House of Representatives was to take up the sanctions legislation, ICANA reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will take appropriate decisions in response to the US moves," he said.

Iranian lawmakers agreed last week to fast-track the anti-American bill to confront "adventurist and terrorist" US actions in the region.

They are working out the details of the bill before sending it to the Guardians Council for final approval, like all laws in Iran.

The US measure would impose fresh sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its missile activities and alleged terrorism sponsorship and human rights violations.

The Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act, which was passed by the US Senate a month ago, was held up in the House of Representatives after Republicans proposed including North Korea sanctions in the bill.

US Republicans and Democrats reached agreement over that proposal on Saturday and the house was supposed to vote on the legislation on Tuesday.

If the bill clears the House, it would be sent back to the senate.

***Uncertain Fate

But Reuters said the measure's fate in the senate is uncertain after a key senator said the deal announced over the weekend may not be final.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that deal negotiators had a "very good weekend" but the announcement "seemed somewhat premature."

"We're about there; there's still some procedural issues we're discussing but, you know, I think it worked out very, very well, we still got a couple of things to talk about on North Korea," Corker said.

If the Republican-led senate passes the measure, US President Donald Trump will need to decide whether to sign the bill or veto it.

Rejecting it would carry a risk that his veto could be overridden by lawmakers if they can muster enough support.

The Trump administration has objected to a provision in the sanctions bill that the president should obtain congressional approval before easing any sanctions on Moscow.

"He's going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like," White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters on Monday when asked whether Trump would support it.

An earlier version of the bill, including sanctions on Russia and Iran, passed the senate 98-2 on June 15.

A North Korea sanctions bill passed the house by 419-1 in May and house lawmakers were becoming increasingly impatient with the senate's failure to take up that legislation.