In a shot across the bow of the Obama White House, the Senate voted unanimously to extend Iran sanctions Thursday by a vote of 99-0.
The Iran Sanctions Extension Act extends the capability for the U.S. to impose sanctions against Iran through the year 2026 if Iran is found to be in violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement. The legislation would block the Iranian regime from getting resources to support terrorism and make weapons of mass destruction.
The legislation passed the House 419-1 and is on its way to President Obama’s desk for his signature.
However, the White House did not urge for a reauthorization of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), which is expected to expire on December 31 if it is not renewed. While the Obama administration did not raise objections to the renewal either, but sources previously told the Washington Free Beacon Obama threatened to veto the new sanctions.
The overwhelming numbers in favor of the sanctions in both chambers, though, would be a potentially humiliating farewell to Obama if Congress was to overturn the veto.
“While we do not think that an extension of ISA is necessary, we do not believe that a clean extension would be a violation of the JCPOA [Iran deal],” a senior administration official told Reuters.
