President Barack Obama

REUTERS

The U.S. Senate resoundingly approved new sanctions on trade with Iran's energy, port, shipping and ship-building sectors on Friday, its latest effort to ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program, reports Reuters.

Senators voted 94-0 to make the new sanctions part of an annual defense policy bill. The defense bill must still be approved by the Senate and House of Representatives before it would be given to President Barack Obama to sign into law.