WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- Republicans in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have introduced legislation that would formally void some critical parts of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
According to a joint statement of the group, some 22 members of the House, spearheaded by Rep. Liz Cheney, and Senators Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and others, decided to introduce the legislation "in response to the Trump administration's repeated issuance of waivers for civil nuclear projects contemplated by the deal."
The bill seeks to revoke waivers for civil nuclear projects with Iran that were established under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The waivers were recently renewed by the State Department on November 1, which make these projects immune from U.S. sanctions.
This bill specifically revokes a waiver for the Fordow facility, a military bunker that Iran built deep inside a mountain, the group said in a statement.
"Iran is already violating the deal by enriching uranium at this facility. The bill also revokes a waiver for the Arak facility and a waiver for the transfer into Iran of enriched uranium for the Tehran Research reactor," it says.
"Congress is determined to support President Trump's successful maximum pressure campaign and ensure the disastrous nuclear deal is completely dismantled," Rep. Cheney said. "The U.S. must revoke waivers for 'civil nuclear' projects established by President Obama's nuclear deal."
Earlier this month, Iran began injecting uranium gas into centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility as part of its step-by-step scaling down of nuclear commitments in response to U.S. sanctions and European inaction to confront them.
Tehran began 4.5 percent enrichment in part to supply Bushehr despite the deal limiting it to 3.67 percent.
Sen. Cruz said, "Iran is exploiting the civil-nuclear waivers from the Obama-Iran deal, which the Trump administration has continued to issue, to build up their nuclear program and buy time until the nuclear deal expires, leaving them with a full-blown unlimited civilian nuclear program."
"Now is the time to end the deal once and for all. I urge Congress to expeditiously take up our legislation, end these waivers, and hold Iran accountable," he added.
Sen. Graham said Trump should immediately end the issuance of civil nuclear waivers.
"Iran is now openly violating the nuclear deal and stockpiling dangerous nuclear material. My colleagues and I will continue to advance legislation to reverse this misguided decision."
Iran says the suspension of its commitments is not a violation of the JCPOA, but based on Articles 26 and 36 of the agreement itself.
The country began pouring concrete for a second nuclear reactor this month, a key step in building the facility with Russian help in the southern port of Bushehr.