Press TV - Democrats in the US House of Representatives have said they will present a new version of a Russia and Iran sanctions bill later today.
Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are set to introduce on Wednesday Russia and Iran sanctions legislation identical to one that was passed nearly unanimously by the Senate on June 15.
Senators voted 98-2 to pass the Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act, to which anti-Russia sanctions were also attached.
"It's identical to the Senate-passed bill," a Democratic committee aide said.
The legislation will be labeled as a House bill to avoid a procedural issue that prompted House Republican leaders to send the measure back to the Senate.
Democrats are suggesting that the delay is intentionally engineered by the Republicans out of loyalty for President Donald Trump, who opposes imposing extra sanctions on Russia.
US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he supports lawmakers efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia.
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US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan (Photo by AFP)[/caption]On Wednesday, Ryan said he seeks a strong bill regarding sanctions on Russia as quickly as possible.
"Right now, we have a procedural issue," and Republicans are working with Democrats regarding sending the bill back to the Senate, Ryan said at a news conference. "There are some policy issues with respect to making sure that we don't actually inadvertently help Russian oligarchs and oil firms."
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- plus Germany started implementing the nuclear agreement, dubbedthe Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on January 16, 2016.
In February, Trump undermined the multilateral deal by introducing a new round of sanctions against Iran following the countrys successful test-launch of a ballistic missile, which Washington said was a breach of the JCPOA.
TheNetanyahu regime has praisedthe Trump administration for taking its pointedly-antagonistic stance againstIran to a new level and imposingsanctions against Tehran over its defensive missile program. Israel had opposed the international nuclear agreement with Iran.
