Democratic and Republican US senators announced legislation on Thursday that would impose sanctions on Iran for “transnational terror campaign.”

This year there was an alleged plot by Iranian intelligence agents to kidnap Iranian-born US activist Masih Alinejad.

Democrat Ben Cardin and Republican Pat Toomey said their legislation would seek to hold Iran accountable for the plot and prevent any further attempted kidnappings on US soil by imposing mandatory sanctions on those involved and authorizing secondary sanctions on banks doing business with them.

US prosecutors charged four Iranian operatives in July with plotting to kidnap Alinejad, a journalist and activist who was critical of Tehran. Iran has called the allegation "baseless."

"If you dare to attempt to come to our nation and kidnap an American citizen, there will be dire consequences," Cardin told a news conference with Toomey and Alinejad, who said she came out of hiding for the event at the US Capitol.

The bill's path to becoming law was not immediately clear, but Cardin and Toomey said they would do everything possible to see it was passed and sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law.

"I am cautiously optimistic," Toomey said.

Report by Reuters