WASHINGTON, AP, JULY 18, 2017 — The Latest on the Trump administration’s move to let the nuclear deal continue while its Iran policy review continues (all times local):
11 a.m.
U.S. lawmakers are calling on Congress to pass more sanctions authorities to target Iran following President Donald Trump’s move to keep the nuclear deal in place for now.
Trump’s administration says Iran was meeting the conditions needed to maintain sanctions relief, but also announced it would punish more Iranians with other non-nuclear sanctions.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee says the actions show Trump is “fully committed” to confronting the Iranian threat. He says the best way to hold Iran accountable is for the House to pass more sanctions for non-nuclear behavior.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware says Trump should sign those sanctions immediately if the House passes them. He says he also wants a “successor agreement” to the nuclear deal to ensure the restrictions stay in place long-term.

Senior U.S. officials say the Trump administration is certifying to Congress for a second time that Iran is technically complying with the 2015 nuclear deal. But they say Iran is “unquestionably in default of the spirit” of the agreement.
The officials say the Trump administration is also extending Iran’s relief from nuclear-related sanctions while a long-running review of Iran policy drags on. The officials briefed reporters on a conference call on condition of anonymity.
The administration had faced a midnight deadline to say whether Iran was complying. The decision preserves the status quo even though President Donald Trump says it’s a bad deal that mustn’t stand as is.
Officials say they’re working to address the deal’s flaws and to punish Tehran for troublesome non-nuclear behavior.