Obama Administration to Defend Iran Nuclear Deal in Senate

But Kerry, peering wearily over a pair of wire-rim glasses, encountered a tsunami of skepticism from Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, during a marathon four-and-a-half-hour hearing. It remains unclear whether GOP critics could surmount that obstacle, but if they succeeded, U.S. sanctions on Iran would remain in place and an agreement that Obama regards as a signature foreign-policy achievement would likely collapse.

According to Politico, who spoke to multiple lawmakers about the effort, Dermer’s message was clear: “don’t worry about voting against the Iran deal, because no matter what, the US will not allow the Islamic Republic to obtain a nuclear weapon”.

The Secretary of State shot back, stating, “I listened to a long list of your objections about it. But there’s no alternative that you or anybody else has proposed”. “It isn’t a, quote, better deal, some sort of unicorn arrangement involving Iran’s complete capitulation. That’s a fantasy, plain and simple”, Kerry said during his opening statements.

Israel has blasted the deal.

Under the deal, Iran must curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Riyadh and its Gulf neighbours share with Israel a concern that Iran, made wealthier under the agreement, will be more able to support its regional proxies.

Even so, no matter the objections – and Republicans leveled many in a hearing that stretched until midafternoon – Kerry, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew were ready with responses. But the mood turned critical immediately as Sen. Representative Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, said there was “a benefit to the cumulative effort”. “There’s an answer, and it’s detailed”.

“That bothers me. It seems like throwing fuel on the fire if the deal goes forward”, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding that the administration turn over the text of the agreements between Iran and the nuclear agency.

Agreement has “closed off all paths to a bomb” through peaceful means, US secretary of state tells senators.

He says it is “unrealistic to think that additional sanctions pressure would force Iran to totally capitulate”.

Moniz vouched for the deal as “based in science and analysis”.

“Not unlike a hotel guest that leaves only with a hotel bathrobe on his back, I believe you’ve been fleeced”, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) insisted on Thursday.

“And I am confident that the next president of the United States will have enough common sense that if this is being applied properly, if it’s being fully implemented, they’re not just going to arbitrarily end it”, Kerry concluded.

Now it’s Congress’ turn to assess the deal and pass judgement, he acknowledged.

Congress has until September 17th to approve or reject the deal. Ben Cardin, D-Md., asked for details of the worldwide inspection agreement to be released, those testifying maintained that it is standard procedure for the specifics of the deal between Iran and global investigators to be kept confidential. He added, without elaboration, “There’s a lot of tools at our disposal”.