As for businesses, the bill presents a choice to companies around the world: "Do you want to do business with Iran or do you want to do business with the United States?" said Senator John McCain, Republican-Arizona.
The bipartisan spirit truly cuts across the aisle in US politics. The US has prohibited US individuals and companies from investing in Iran's petroleum sector since 1995 by an executive order issued by President Bill Clinton, nowadays an icon on the US left.
For it's part? Iran reckons it will will be able to produce enough gasoline to meet its needs within two years with an investment of $12 billion, a deputy oil minister said Thursday -- playing down the impact that more US sanctions would have.
"Sanctions and resolutions against Iran will create no interruption in the implementation of refineries plans," said Alireza Zeyghami, Iran's deputy oil minister for refining and products distribution, as quoted by the state television web site. "Instead they will make us more decisive in self-sufficiency and using domestic products."
Iran hasn't had much luck building out its refining industry in the past 20 years, so watch this space. Tempers could be ready to fray even further.
