US Senator Schumer: If US quits deal, US sanctions still will hurt Iran

The lone Democratic senator to publicly oppose President Barack Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran said Tuesday that even if the US backs away and other countries lift their sanctions, Iran still will feel meaningful pressure from the US penalties.

Schumer also said that sanctions aimed at companies that do business with Iran could force US allies and trade partners back to the negotiating table.  "Let's not forget, those secondary sanctions are very powerful," Schumer told reporters in New York as he detailed a decision he first announced last week. He said these sanctions alert corporations, such as the French oil company Total, that if it deals with Iran, it cannot deal with the United States.