Washington - The US Senate voted unanimously late on Wednesday to tighten sanctions on North Korea in the wake of nuclear and missile tests by the reclusive regime in recent weeks.
The legislation “leaves no doubt about our determination to neutralise any threat with robust, realistic diplomacy to reach the clear goal of a denuclearised Korean Peninsula,” Senator Bob Menendez, one of the its sponsors, wrote in an op-ed published on Wednesday.
The lower House of Representatives, which passed a similar measure last month, must now pass the Senate version before it can be submitted to the president, or both chambers can pass a compromise bill.
The legislation tightens sanctions on Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, while requiring the US government to investigate sanctions-eligible activities and sanction those who support the regime.
It establishes sanctions for cyber attacks and human rights violations by North Korea.
US President Barack Obama's administration has sought to reassure Asian allies and bolster international resolve against North Korea in the wake of a nuclear test last month and a missile launch on the weekend.
The White House has frequently noted that the North Korean regime is already so economically isolated that the ability to further isolate the regime is limited.
James Clapper, US director of national intelligence, told Congress on Tuesday that North Korea has expanded its nuclear programme and restarted a plutonium reactor at its main nuclear facility.
North Korea's recent missile and nuclear activity has alarmed its regional neighbours, in particular South Korea and Japan, and provoked warnings from the United States, China and the United Nations.
DPA