US Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Track Iran Nuclear Efforts

Senator Bob Menendez at the Capitol Hill in Washington (Reuters)
Senator Bob Menendez at the Capitol Hill in Washington (Reuters)
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US Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Track Iran Nuclear Efforts

Senator Bob Menendez at the Capitol Hill in Washington (Reuters)
Senator Bob Menendez at the Capitol Hill in Washington (Reuters)

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill requiring the US administration to assess Iranian threats and develop a clear strategy to deal with them.

The "Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability Monitoring Act of 2022" was presented by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and Senator Lindsey Graham.

The act calls for establishing a task force to monitor Iran's nuclear weapons and missile capabilities and urges the Biden administration to coordinate intelligence cooperation with regional allies like Israel.

The bipartisan legislation requires that the Secretary of State submit an annual diplomatic strategy for engaging with partners and allies of the United States regarding Iran's nuclear weapons and missile activities.

The bill highlights the growing congressional opposition to the Biden administration's efforts to return to the nuclear deal with Tehran, including top Democratic members.

Menendez said there is no reason why the US Congress should not receive the most up-to-date information about Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activities or the administration's diplomatic efforts to address the threats they posed.

Republican Senator Graham said that no matter what happens with the Iran nuclear negotiations, "we must monitor the Iranian nuclear program like a hawk."



Iran Guards Chief Says Netanyahu ICC Warrant 'Political Death' of Israel

Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
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Iran Guards Chief Says Netanyahu ICC Warrant 'Political Death' of Israel

Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP

The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday described the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defense minister as the “end and political death” of Israel, in a speech.
“This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries,” Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami said in the speech aired on state TV.
In the first official reaction by Iran, Salami called the ICC warrant “a welcome move” and a “great victory for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements,” both supported by the Islamic republic, AFP reported.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas’s military chief Mohammed Deif.
The warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant were issued in response to accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes during Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ICC’s move theoretically limits the movement of Netanyahu, as any of the court’s 124 national members would be obliged to arrest him on their territory.
The court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan urged the body’s members to act on the warrants, and for non-members to work together in “upholding international law.”