New Sanctions Against Iran and Russia Approved by U.S. House of Representatives

On Tuesday, August 3, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved a sanctions bill targeting Iran, Russia, and North Korea. According to Reuters, the House members voted 419 in favor and 3 against the sanctions bill. This bill is a new version of the Senate's proposal that was approved on June 15 with 98 votes in favor. According to the Associated Press, House members believed that under the Constitution, this bill should first be prepared and approved by the House before being sent to the Senate. Senator Ben Carson, a Democrat, stated that members of both chambers agreed after intense negotiations on the legal pathway for this bill. The House-approved bill now needs to be passed by the Senate before being sent to the White House for enactment. Reuters reports that the Senate has not yet announced when it will review the House-approved bill. The White House has also stated that President Donald Trump has not yet made a decision on whether to sign such a bill. This bill was initially drafted to intensify sanctions against Iran in the U.S. Senate, but sanctions against Russia were later added. The Senate's earlier bill, passed on June 15 with a significant majority, was known as the 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities' bill and imposed sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile development, support for terrorism and militia groups, and human rights violations. The newly approved House bill, which has support from both the Democratic and Republican parties, imposes sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimea, support for Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war, and potential interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. According to the Associated Press, this sanctions bill targets individuals, human rights violators, arms-exporting companies, and the Russian energy sector. The bill also intensifies sanctions against North Korea due to its continued missile and nuclear testing. As reported by Reuters, officials in the Trump administration have met with American lawmakers in recent weeks and have tried to convince them to make changes to the bill, including a provision that requires the U.S. President to seek congressional approval before any easing of sanctions on Russia. At the same time, according to Reuters, such legislation limits the Trump administration's potential efforts to lift sanctions on Russia. In this context, the likelihood of the U.S. House of Representatives voting for further sanctions on Iran and Russia is high. The White House has reported that the U.S. government is cooperating with Congress on sanctions against Russia. Trump's warning about the serious consequences of not releasing American citizens imprisoned in Iran, statements from the CIA Director regarding Iran and U.S. strategy in the Middle East, and Zarif's comment that U.S. goodwill in implementing the JCPOA could pave the way for interaction in other areas are also noteworthy. The changing dynamics of 'proxy wars' and the war against the people in the streets of Iran, the responsibility of the opposition and the potential radicalization of Iranian society, the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis, and reports of horrific killings during protests in Iran are also significant developments.