Obama likely to approve Iran sanctions bill

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON (AA) – President Barack Obama is likely to approve a 10-year extension of U.S. sanctions on Iran, the White House said Friday.

"We believe the Iran Sanctions Act extension is not necessary. But we also believe it won't interfere with the Iran deal -- the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was agreed upon between Iran and the P5+1," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said during a press briefing. The P5+1 refers to the fiver permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

"So, I would expect the president to sign this piece of legislation."

The bill unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday and extends the sanctions that originally passed in 1996m through 2026 if Obama signs it into law.

The act was originally slated to expire at year’s end.

Schultz said the U.S. would continue live up to its own commitments under the nuclear deal "as long as Iran keeps up its end of the deal as well.

"But we should also make clear that our concerns about Iran's other destabilizing activities in the region, like support for terrorism, their ballistic missile program -- our concerns for those activities haven't waned," he said.

Iranian religious leader Ayatullah Ali Hamaney said the bill violates the nuclear deal and that Iran would react to it if it becomes law.