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Weeks after Iran signed a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, more signs emerge that some members of the Congress are already preparing to torpedo it. Several key senators have asked intelligence officials to examine whether a new set of sanctions would derail the nuclear talks with Iran. The request was made by the chairmen of the Senate\'s banking, intelligence, and armed services committees, and the reply should be ready in less than a week. The senators have also asked intelligence officials to provide briefings to the chamber -- once every 45 days starting on February first -- on whether Iran is complying with the deal. Some members of Congress are pushing for a new list of sanctions against Iran. But the White House is calling on senators to hold off. It says new sanctions against Iran would make Washington appear to be acting in bad faith in its nuclear outreach to Tehran.

A group of US lawmakers have warned the Afghan president against a failure to sign a bilateral security deal. After a meeting with Hamid Karzai in Kabul, a group of American senators, including John McCain and Lindsay Graham, said they expect the agreement to be signed soon. They have also noted that such a failure would pose a threat to Afghanistan and the region. Karzai has so far delayed signing the accord with the United States. The Afghan president says he won\'t sign any agreement that allows continued raids on Afghan homes. Without a signed deal, all U-S and NATO forces would have to withdraw from Afghanistan. The US-led foreign forces are blamed for many civilian deaths in the country. The senators have also warned Karzai about the release of 88 Bagram prisoners in north Kabul. Afghanistan says it\'s found insufficient evidence to continue their detention. But, Washington says the prisoners pose a serious security threat.

As dialog continues between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, a group of US senators is threatening to push for more anti-Iran sanctions. Fourteen Democratic and Republican lawmakers have pledged to work together on legislation aimed at imposing new sanctions on Iran over the coming weeks. The bipartisan group of lawmakers includes Democrats Robert Menendez and Republican Bob Corker. The lawmakers say they want to prevent Iran from acquiring the capability to develop a nuclear weapon. The US has passed several rounds of illegal sanctions against the country, hitting the Iranian public hard. Tehran says its nuclear energy program is for power generation and producing medical radio isotopes.

[02 Apr 2014] More senators join campaign to release controversial US torture report - English

[12 June 2014] US senators express concern over Palestinian unity government - English

[13 June 2014] Some 90 US senators expressed concerns over Palestinian unity government - English

[26 Jan 2015] US senators set resolution countering push for more sanctions - English

[28 Feb 2015] US senators introduce bill requiring review of any deal with Iran - English

Pakistani senators oppose joining Saudi-led alliance

After a meeting with Hamid Karzai in Kabul, a group of American senators, including John McCain and Lindsay Graham, said they expect the agreement to be signed soon. They have also noted that such a failure would pose a threat to Afghanistan and the region. Karzai has so far delayed signing the accord with the United States. The Afghan president says he won\\\'t sign any agreement that allows continued raids on Afghan homes. Without a signed deal, all U-S and NATO forces would have to withdraw from Afghanistan. The U-S-led foreign forces are blamed for many civilian deaths in the country. The senators have also warned Karzai about the release of 88 Bagram prisoners in north Kabul. Afghanistan says it\\\'s found insufficient evidence to continue their detention. But, Washington says the prisoners pose a serious security threa

A group of defiant US lawmakers will introduce a bill to impose more sanctions on Iran despite Washington\'s efforts to hold off new measures. Senate aides say a vote on the bipartisan plan is expected in January. The bill aims to target Iran\'s remaining oil exports and foreign exchange. The administration of President Barack Obama has been calling on lawmakers to delay any more sanctions as a diplomatic path with Tehran is pursued. Iran and the P5+1 group reached a nuclear deal in Geneva last month. Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear energy program in exchange for some sanctions relief. The sides have agreed to work to reach a comprehensive deal in six months. Tehran has warned that new US sanctions will kill the Geneva deal.

More than a quarter of the US Senate introduces a new bill to impose fresh sanction on Iran. The bill is sponsored by 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans. They say the sanctions will be slapped against Iran if the country breaches the terms of last month\'s Geneva deal. The draft also forces the US administration to support Israel militarily, diplomatically and economically in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran\'s nuclear energy program. Congress has recently tripled the US government\'s requested aid for Israel. Meanwhile, the White House has highlighted the use of diplomacy as a suitable approach for resolving Iran\'s nuclear issue.

More than a quarter of the US Senate introduces a new bill to impose fresh sanction on Iran. The bill is sponsored by 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans. They say the sanctions will be slapped against Iran if the country breaches the terms of last month\'s Geneva deal. The draft also forces the U-S administration to support Israel militarily, diplomatically and economically in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran\'s nuclear energy program. Congress has recently tripled the US government\'s requested aid for Israel. Meanwhile, the White House has highlighted the use of diplomacy as a suitable approach for resolving Iran\'s nuclear issue.

US President Barack Obama calls on Senate to delay imposing new sanctions on Iran, rejecting criticism by senators that Washington has not been tough on Iran. White House spokesman Jay Carney says that Obama has met top Democrats and Republicans from the Senate Armed Services, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees and urged them to delay any decision on new Iran sanctions. As Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are slated to hold fresh round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Wednesday, Obama tell the senators that new sanctions should not be enacted during the current negotiations. Meanwhile, a group of senators wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry, calling on the administration to make a tougher line on anti-Iran sanctions. The senators warned that easing the sanctions would not force Iran to abandon its pursuit of an alleged nuclear weapon. Obama says the proposed deal would permit a modest lifting of the economic sanctions on Iran.

This week it was publicized that if you are looking for corruption in parliament, then turn to the Senate, or as it was put, Canada\'s dirty little secret, the anachronism imposed by Britain, and critics say despite scandals nothing will change and no one will be held accountable. An ongoing investigation over Canada\'s Senators involving in false housing and living expenses has shattered the image of the senate, it has forced senators to leave and recently it was Pamella Wallin who resigned from the conservative caucus.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif has advised the US against imposing new sanctions against Tehran. In an interview with Time magazine, Zarif said the Geneva nuclear deal is going to be QUOTE-dead if the US Congress imposes new sanctions, even if they do not take effect for six months. Two US senators are preparing legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran in six months if the deal goes nowhere. These sanctions would target Iran\'s oil exports, foreign exchange reserves, and industry. The senators are making the move despite the Geneva deal between Tehran and the P-five-plus-one group of countries, which includes the U-S. Washington has already imposed several rounds of illegal sanctions on Iran, causing problems mainly for ordinary Iranians.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Mimi Al-Laham, a Syrian activist and political commentator from Australia, about the Syrian crisis and an American senators\' speech calling for military intervention in Syria.

Iran has slammed anti-Iran remarks made by U-S undersecretary of state Wendy Sherman. Let\'s first see what the U-S official had said at a meeting with a group of US senators on October 3. Now Iran\'s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Sherman has apparently no clear view of the Iranian people. Afkham said such remarks also contradict the principle of mutual respect. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said what is part of Iranians\' D-N-A is resistance against any form of bullying. Afkham\'s comments come as inside Iran many people including their M-Ps are angered by Sherman\'s insulting comments.

A group of protesters have taken to the streets of Tehran for yet another demonstration against the US and its policies. The protest is the latest in a series of weekly rallies held after Friday prayers. The demonstrators have dubbed this week\'s rally as \"the US apology for racism and deception.\" They chanted slogans against the US and torched its flag. The protesters also stepped on pictures of the US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman to show their anger at her anti-Iran remarks. Earlier this month, Sherman told a group of US senators that deception is part of the DNA, while she was talking about dealing with Iran.

The US administration warns the Congress that passing new sanctions against Iran will prove to the world that America negotiates in bad faith. White House spokesman Jay Carney says passage of new sanctions will undermine efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of the standoff over Iran\'s nuclear program. He stated that any new sanctions would give the Iranians Quote-- an excuse Unquote to push the terms of the Geneva nuclear agreement to the side. The latest push by the White House comes as several groups of Republican and Democratic senators are making efforts to target Iran with a new set of sanctions. Carney added that if Tehran failed to abide by the terms of the deal, the White House would support new sanctions against the country. According to last month\'s Geneva deal, the U-S and its Western partners made a commitment to refrain from imposing new sanctions for six months.