Obama expected to sign Iran Sanctions Act into law
US President Barack Obama is likely to sign legislation, which renews sanctions against Iran for 10 years, into law, the White House says.
"We believe the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) extension is not necessary, but we also believe it won't interfere with the Iran deal," deputy White House press secretary Eric Schultz said on Friday. "I would expect the president to sign this piece of legislation."
In a 99-to-0 vote on Thursday, the US Senate passed the ISA, sending the measure to the White House for Obama to sign into law.
Last month, the House of Representatives voted 419 to 1 to reauthorize the ISA, which will expire on Dec. 31 without an extension.
The measure was first introduced in 1996 to punish investments in Iran's energy industry based on accusations that Tehran was pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Schultz also said on Friday that “inside that legislation, it includes a provision that would allow the (US) secretary of state to waive relevant nuclear-related sanctions as consistent with both the legislation and our commitments made under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), so that's something we've been doing since Implementation Day and that's something we'll continue to do under our obligations of the deal as long as Iran keeps up its end of the deal as well.”
The JCPOA was reached between Iran and the P5+1 - the US, Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany - in July last year.
Under the deal, Tehran agreed to limit some aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of all the nuclear-related sanctions.
On Thursday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that the Obama administration retained "substantial authority to impose sanctions against Iran," adding, “we'll take a look at the bill” that has been passed.
Iran says that it has made necessary preparations and is ready to respond if the US violates the deal.
“We have already made the necessary anticipations and are thoroughly prepared to show a reaction,” Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told IRIB on Friday.
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