Iran Sanctions Bill Passes Out of Senate Committee Overwhelmingly

Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee easily passed a bipartisan bill that slaps sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile tests and other non-nuclear behavior Thursday, amid attempts by former Obama administration officials to stymie the legislation over concerns that it could hurt the 2015 nuclear deal.

The bill passed the committee stage 18-3, clearing the way for consideration by the full Senate in coming weeks. The House of Representatives is conducting a similar bipartisan push for sanctions, as is the Trump administration itself.

The bill sanctions entities involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and applies terrorism sanctions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It also mandates that the president block the property of any entity that engages in the sale, supply, or transfer of prohibited arms to or from Iran.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who fought the renewal of Iran sanctions legislation during the Obama administration, warned against the sanctions package in a tweet storm Wednesday.

Kerry is on the advisory council of Democracy Works, a group launched earlier this month that looks to "promote, protect, and preserve" the nuclear deal. A number of other officials on the board have argued against the sanctions legislation.