A US congressional panel has adopted a new measure to tighten the countryâ„¢s illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran over its nuclear energy program.
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday passed an anti-Iran act that targets the countryâ„¢s auto and mining industries as well as its foreign currency reserves.
The act allows the US president to subject other Iranian industries, such as engineering, to similar restrictions.
The new US measure focuses on Iran’s finance and energy sectors, in particular its oil exports.
The sanctions would also punish any foreign institution that serves as an intermediary in facilitating currency conversions for Iran.
The bill needs to be approved by the full House and then the Senate and should be signed by US President Barack Obama in order to become law.
The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Over the false allegation, Washington and the European Union have imposed a series of illegal unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Iran refutes the allegation over its nuclear energy program and argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.
AR/NN/HJL
This article originally appeared on : Press TV