January 29, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Following top US officials’ warnings to Iran over its burgeoning nuclear program, the US Senate on Thursday approved a bill that anticipates additional sanctions against Tehran.

 

Last month a similar bill was approved at the other US government body, the House of Representative, by a margin of 412 to 12. The Senate approval supposedly paves the way for further sanctions on such strategic items as gasoline, advanced components, telecommunications and certain individuals affiliated within the government.

 

Currently several major European companies still continue their activities in Iran including the Swiss company Vitol, France’s Total and British Petroleum and the cellphone company Nokia. Also the bills approval would allow the US President to decide on the timing of the sanctions in the next two weeks.

 

On Wednesday, in London US Secretary of State when she was attending a conference on Afghanistan, told reporters that Iran’s negative response to latest nuclear fuel exchange proposal leaves Washington with no other choices but to impose more sanctions.

 

The nuclear fuel proposal offered from the West, requires that Iran ship almost all of it domestically enriched uranium fuel to other countries and receive higher enriched uranium at some later stages, depending on how the situation would be at that time. 

 

Tehran flatly ejected the offer at its inception and instead proposed a more rational counteroffer through a step-by-step exchange deal that should pave the ground for more cooperation in the field of nuclear technology.