The Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly advanced legislation that could kill the Iran Nuclear Deal, according to advocates of the initiative, including former Secretary of State John Kerry.
A bill that would impose additional sanctions on Iran passed the committee on Thursday in an 18-3 vote. The only “no” votes came from Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.).
The legislation would penalize Iranian entities involved in Tehran’s ballistic missile program. Proponents of the nuclear deal say this would violate terms of the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Considering that the JCPOA prohibits the re-imposition of sanctions lifted under the nuclear accord, the re-imposition of sanctions on Iranian banks–as an example–would likely constitute a JCPOA violation,” the National Iranian American Council has said.
The deal was tailored narrowly to focus on Iran’s nuclear program—in a bid to ensure Iranian nuclear activities would only be used for peaceful purposes.
Last month, the Trump administration verified that the Iranian government is complying with the terms of the JCPOA, but it also warned of a possible impending unilateral nullification.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that an ongoing interagency review of the deal is currently weighing whether key terms of the JCPOA are “vital to the national security interests of the United States.”
Tillerson’s predecessor, meanwhile, cautioned that the legislation passed on Thursday would effectively end the agreement—with or without the ongoing administration review.
“After Rouhani’s reelection, there is much up in the air/room for misinterpretation,” John Kerry tweeted on Wednesday, referring to last weekend’s victory by Iran’s moderate president, Hassan Rouhani. “This is not the moment for a new Iran bill,” Kerry added.
Kerry also said there are “many tools to up the pressure already in place” and they wouldn’t call into question the viability of the Iran Deal.
He added that the US should “consider how to make any move in coordination/consultation with our European allies, who were and are essential.”
