U.S. Congress to have a say on nuclear deal with IranApril 15, 2015 - 10:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Congress will have a say on a nuclear deal with Iran, under a new agreement reached with the White House, BBC News reports. President Barack Obama withdrew his opposition to a bipartisan bill that was unanimously passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has agreed to sign the bill, which gives Congress the right to reject any forthcoming agreement with Iran. An outline agreement on the future shape of Iran's nuclear program was reached after marathon talks in April. The U.S., Iran, and four other nations have set a deadline of June 30 to finalize a deal which would ease western sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. Some Republicans have argued against the deal, saying Iran has received too many concessions. They have always insisted they must have a say if any agreement means economic sanctions levied by Congress against Iran will be lifted. The bill is now likely to clear both houses in the Republican-controlled Congress. An earlier version of the bill had placed a 60-day halt to any plan by Obama to lift sanctions on Iran. But that review period has been reduced to 30 days. Obama will still be able to lift sanctions he himself imposed through executive action but he would be unable to ease those imposed by Congress. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |