US Senate sets test vote on Iran sanctions bill

United States Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has set a test vote for stalled bipartisan legislation to let Congress review and possibly reject any agreement the Obama administration makes to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on nuclear research and development.

Iran nuclear talks are set to resume May 12 in Vienna

The bill has been on the Senate floor, off and on, for more than two weeks. It has been stalled since Republican senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Tom Cotton of Arkansas proposed politically attractive changes that drew the objections of Democrats as well as some Republicans who want the bill kept free of controversial provisions that could prompt the White House to withdraw its support.
A 60-vote majority on Thursday's test vote would likely discard both proposals, and greatly improve the bill's chances of passage.

Negotiators for the US and five other nations are rushing towards a June 30 deadline to finalise a deal in which Iran would curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions choking its economy.
Rubio, who is running for president, wants to amend the bill to require Iran's leaders to publicly accept Israel's right to exist, a nearly impossible mandate.