U.S. Senate to mull broader Iran sanctions

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Senate is set to consider a broader set of economic sanctions on Iran's energy, port, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, as lawmakers look for new ways to pressure Tehran to stop efforts to enrich uranium to levels that could be used in weapons, Reuters reported.

The new package also includes measures to stop the flow of gold from Turkey into Iran, Senate aides confirmed, trade that has helped Tehran manage its economy in the face of Western financial sanctions.

It is the third time in a year that U.S. lawmakers have looked for new ways to cut off revenues they believe fund Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran has said is strictly for civilian purposes.

The sanctions come as the United Nations' nuclear chief said his agency has made no progress in its year-long push to investigate whether Iran has worked on developing an atomic bomb.

The new sanctions were filed as an amendment to an annual defense policy bill. Senators debated other parts of the massive bill late into Thursday, November 29 night and were expected to consider the Iran sanctions measure on Friday morning.

If accepted, the proposal would become part of the annual defense policy bill, which must be approved by the Senate and House of Representatives before it would be given to President Barack Obama to sign into law.