The US Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for any alleged role its officials might have had in the attacks, setting up a potential confrontation with the White House which has threatened a veto.
The overwhelming support in the Senate for the bill, which will now pass to the House of Representatives, is also likely to heighten tensions with Saudi Arabia at a moment of sharp disagreement between the two allies over Iran.
Under the bill, which is called the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, countries found to have been involved in terrorist acts committed on US soil would lose their right to sovereign immunity that protects them from lawsuits.