Trump suggests Iran shares some blame for extremist attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is suggesting that Iran shares some of the blame for twin attacks by extremists on its parliament and a shrine, insisting that those who sponsor terrorism "risk falling victim to the evil they promote."

Hours after conciliatory comments from his State Department, the president on Wednesday offered a seemingly contradictory statement, providing solace to the victims while delivering a broadside against Tehran.

The bill would impose mandatory sanctions on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them.

Last month, the Foreign Relations Committee backed the measure despite concerns from former Secretary of State John Kerry and several Democrats that it could nonetheless lead to the unraveling of the nuclear accord negotiated by the Obama administration.

In exchange for Iran rolling back its nuclear program, the U.S. and other world powers agreed to suspend wide-ranging oil, trade and financial sanctions that had choked the Iranian economy.

[...] the State Department took a key step last week toward preserving the pact by issuing a waiver to keep the sanctions from snapping back into place.