U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) unveiled legislation he intends to introduce to congress ahead of President Donald Trump's announcement on the status of the Iran nuclear agreement going forward.
Trump announced Friday he would not re-certify the 2015 nuclear deal, putting its future squarely in the hands of congress after delivering sharp criticism on the country.
Ahead of Trump's announcement, Tillerson said Trump would not ask congress to reintroduce sanctions on the country as a whole. The president instead announced new sanctions against a specific branch of the country's military he said supported terrorism: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. Treasury Department said it can seize assets, but stops short of officially designating the IRGC as a terror group.
Corker's announcement said he hopes to also "address flaws" in the nuclear deal, particularly with gradually expiring restrictions on the uranium enrichment program that will begin to 'sunset' in six years and eventually expire completely in 2030. Corker said the expiration would bring Iran to the "brink of nuclear breakout."
The legislation will also propose to give the International Atomic Energy Agency the authority to verify Iran's compliance with nuclear restrictions and address a section of a deal he said allows the country to develop centrifuges that could reduce the time needed to develop a nuclear weapon.
Corker's plan calls to automatically re-impose sanctions if Iran's nuclear program breaks certain restrictions. Corker said the legislation would not conflict with the Iran nuclear deal itself.