House backs tough sanctions on Iran

The House has endorsed harsher sanctions on Iran in an effort to weaken Tehran economically and derail its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The overwhelming votes of 410-11 and 418-2 Wednesday were largely symbolic, however, as the Senate was not expected to act on the legislation in the few remaining days of the congressional session.

Separately, Congress was poised to back a sweeping defense bill that already included crippling sanctions on foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran's Central Bank that the Senate backed unanimously last week.

The legislation builds on sanctions that Congress overwhelmingly passed — and President Barack Obama signed — last year.

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