President Obama signed broad new sanctions against Iran into law on Friday, August 10, The Hill reported. The top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs panel had been urging Obama to sign into law a broad range of sanctions against Iran that Congress passed almost unanimously before breaking for summer recess two weeks ago. The bipartisan sanctions aim to pressure Iran into abandoning its nuclear program by significantly tightening sanctions against the country’s energy, shipping and insurance sectors. “Time is of the essence,” the bill’s sponsor, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), said prior to Obama signing the bill. Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), the top Democrat on the committee, agreed. “The sooner the sanctions are signed into law, the sooner we can plug loopholes in the current sanctions regime and the sooner the Iranian regime will feel increased pressure,” Berman said.