WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts, both Kansas Republicans, and 25 other senators introduced the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act on Thursday, bipartisan legislation proposing sanctions on Iran if the nation breaches the interim Joint Plan of Action agreed to in Geneva or fails to reach a final agreement.

“The development of an Iranian nuclear arsenal remains the greatest threat to stability in the Middle East,” Moran said. “While I hope that the ongoing negations will bear increased cooperation and a chance at peace, the sanctions proposed in this legislation would provide the world a critical insurance policy if diplomatic efforts ultimately fall short.”

The prospective sanctions legislation requires further reductions in purchases of Iranian petroleum and applies additional penalties to strategic elements of the Iranian economy, including the engineering, mining and construction sectors. It also gives the Obama administration up to one year from the conclusion of an implementing agreement to pursue a diplomatic track resulting in the complete and verifiable termination of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program.