WASHINGTON, March 16: The Bush administration says that a new bill, approved overwhelmingly by a congressional committee, would complicate US diplomatic efforts to build an international front against Iran.

On Wednesday, the House International Relations Committee approved by a 37 to 3 majority the Iran Freedom Support Act, which seeks tougher sanctions against Iran and international firms that invest in the country’s energy industry.

The Bush administration has expressed publicly its opposition to the bill, claiming that it will divide the international community over the Iranian nuclear dispute.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told a congressional hearing that the administration believes that the existing legislation concerning Iran is sufficient.

“We want to keep the focus on Iran’s misdeeds, not create friction and division in the camp that is confronting Iran”, he said.

Progress of the bill, first introduced last year, was delayed as its sponsors negotiated with the Bush administration, which still has not agreed to support it.

Congressman Henry Hyde, chairman of the committee that approved the bill, also worries that punishing foreign governments could hurt efforts to maintain a broad international coalition opposing Iran’s nuclear efforts.

“To successfully deter the Iranian regime the opposition must truly be global,” he said. “By threatening tough sanctions, not against Iran but against third parties who invest in Iran’s petroleum industry, [the bill] targets our allies. The approach is divisive and understandably our allies have resisted.”

Although there is already a law restricting investments in Iran’s energy sector, the proposed law will make it even more difficult to invest in joint ventures like the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline the three countries are trying to build.

Legal experts in Washington say that if this law is implemented, it will be difficult to find international firms willing to invest in the Iran gas pipeline project.