US lawmakers to toughen anti-Iran sanctions

Aiming to apply pressure on Iran over its nuclear work, US lawmakers have unveiled a new legislation that seeks to impose sanctions on non-US companies trading with Iran.

The new legislation, revealed on Thursday, is aimed at preventing major global telecommunications giants from doing business with Iran. It deprives the giants of lucrative US government contracts if they do sign a deal with Iran.

The legislation known as the Accountability for Business Choices in Iran Act, or ABC Iran Act, targets non-US firms that invest or operate in Iran's energy sector or export 'sensitive technology' that could be used by the Iranian government, AFP reported.

Under the legislation, those companies seeking a contract with the US government are to certify that they are not doing business with Iran. The companies would be banned from trading with the US if it emerges that they have undertaken business with the Islamic Republic.

The lead author of the legislation, Representative Ron Klein, Democrat, of Florida, said that companies should choose either to trade with Iran or the US.

If approved as law, non-US telecommunications giants such as Nokia and Siemens could be among those companies affected, the United Against Nuclear Iran advocacy group, which helped write the measure said.

Iran rejects allegations its nuclear work has a military agenda and defends its nuclear program as strictly peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which it is a signatory.

Tehran which has also long been pushing for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction across the globe says US allegations against its nuclear program are politically motivated.

Iran has been under US unilateral sanctions for nearly three decades after an Islamic Revolution toppled the US-allied monarch in the country.