Congress sanctions on Iran gesture of impotence: Analyst

The recent move by the US House of Representatives to approve a new sanctions bill against Iran shows the “impotence” of the American lawmakers, a political analyst tells Press TV.

“This is a gesture of impotence and rage, I guess, by the US House of Representatives. I am afraid these members of Congress don’t realize that the world has changed,” said Webster Griffin Tarpley in a Friday interview with Press TV.

The analyst argued that the US legislators are ignorant of the fact that they do not hold the power to halt the oil exports of another country simply by means of a decree.

The US House on Wednesday approved a bill to impose tougher sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and other economic sectors.

The bill, which must be approved by the Senate and signed by President Barack Obama to become law, seeks to cut Iran’s oil exports by one million barrels per day over a year.

It also blacklists any business in Iran’s automotive, mining and construction sectors and commits the United States to the goal of ending all Iranian oil sales worldwide by 2015.

The US has imposed several rounds of illegal sanctions on Iran, which Washington claims to be aimed at pressuring Tehran to abandon its nuclear energy program.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of potentially pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Tehran has categorically rejected the accusation, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Tarpley lashed out at the US lawmakers over their inability to help solve America’s existing problems, including the country’s massive public debt and economic downturn, while at the same time, focusing on other irrelevant issues such as imposing embargoes against Iran.

“So far, they are on track to be the least productive Congress in terms of legislation,” he added.

The analyst pointed to the weak approval rating of the Capitol Hill in official surveys, noting, “This is the most hated Congress in the history of the United States.”

According to a survey conducted by the Gallup across the United States from March 7 to 10, the public approval rating of the US Congress has plunged to 13 percent.