News in Brief
Former Iraqi PM Kadhimi summoned over Soleimani case
Iraq’s public prosecutor decided to refer former Iraqi prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for investigation in the case of targeting “Resistance Leaders,” namely Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were assassinated by the United States in 2020, as well as “violating the sovereignty of Baghdad Airport” during his tenure as the head of the intelligence service.
Official documents released on Sunday and obtained by Shafaq news agency reveal that the public prosecutor’s response to Deputy Hussein Munis directed the Federal Investigation Court to take legal action regarding the subject of the complaint mentioned in the letter and to inform them as soon as possible.
U.S. lawmakers to push for comprehensive Iran sanctions law
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation in the House and Senate on Monday to permanently authorize a law allowing the president to implement punishing sanctions on Iran’s economy.
The Solidifying Iran Sanctions Act, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is intended to permanently extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) of 1996, which is set to expire in 2026.
The ISA, which must be continuously renewed by Congress under a mandatory sunset provision, allows the U.S. executive branch to impose sanctions on Iran’s energy sector.
“The Iran Sanctions Act is one of the most important tools in U.S. law to compel Iran to abandon its dangerous and destabilizing behavior,” McCaul said in a statement.