Details of Anti-US Bill Explained

The final draft of a parliamentary bill in retaliation for new US sanctions was released on Friday, envisaging a comprehensive response to US acts "endangering Iran's vital security interests in the region" and other antagonistic moves targeting Iran's economic interests.

The bill to confront "adventurist and terrorist" US activities in the region also urges punishments for US violators of human rights across the globe.

It was passed in the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Wednesday and was sent to Majlis Presiding Board to be put to a vote in the parliament, IRNA reported.

The draft law gives the Foreign Ministry three month to prepare a black list of American officials and citizens who played a role in spreading terrorism in the region and assisted the breach of human rights.

Those included in the black list are subject to assets forfeiture and banned from traveling to Iran.

The proposal targets those involved in financing, training and equipping terrorist elements operating in the region, including members of the self-styled Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups, and those who support the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization and Israeli state-sponsorship of terrorism.

The measure also targets Americans assisting the violation of rights of Muslims and black people, those who support acts of repressive governments in the Middle East and those behind US atrocities during its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The draft bill allocates 10,000 billion rials ($262 million) to the General Staff of the Armed Forces for developing Iran's missile work and the same amount is to be equally divided among foreign, intelligence and defense ministries for carrying out tasks delegated by the bill, including a probe into US actions in the region.

Another 10,000 billion rials have been earmarked for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' Qods force, which is responsible for overseas operations, to increase its anti-terror operations in the region.

The measure also assigns Foreign Ministry and several other state bodies with the task of preparing a comprehensive plan to counter US threats against Iran within six months.

  Majlis to Vote Soon

The parliament is to take up the motion for debate on Sunday, the parliamentary panel's spokesman, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, said on Thursday.

Speaking to IRIB News, the lawmaker said the bill is supposed to be put to a vote before the parliament begins discussions on President Hassan Rouhani's proposed Cabinet for his second term, which must start by Wednesday.

If ratified by the Iranian parliament, the measure needs the approval of the Guardians Council to become law.

The US sanctions legislation, called The Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act, which also includes sanctions against Russia and North Korea, was approved with overwhelming votes by the US Congress late last month.

The bill was signed into law by US President Donald Trump on August 2 to become the latest in a string of anti-Iran sanctions by the new US administration, which has adopted a hard line on Iran.

The sanctions package imposes mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and anyone doing business with them.

The measure would apply sanctions against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on alleged terrorism charges. It would also penalize Iran for alleged human rights abuses and also enforce an arms embargo.

Iran has denounced the US bill as a violation of the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal involving Iran and world powers, particularly running counter to its articles calling on western powers to refrain from interfering in the normalization of Iran's economic ties and trying to limit benefits it is entitled to. Earlier this month, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi vowed "appropriate and proportionate" response to the US hostile move.

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has said Iran will complain to the Joint Commission, a panel of representatives from parties to the nuclear accord tasked with handling any complaint over its implementation.