Kerry: Iran ‘May’ Kill Americans or Israelis

Congress has two months to consider whether to reject the deal to roll back sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. Other countries, he says, will wonder if they are negotiating with the Obama administration or some 535 members of Congress acting as secretaries of state. “You’re not serious about trying to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, so we’re not going to enter into a diplomatic agreement for that reason”, Earnest said.

Kerry spoke as the administration picked up support for the deal from Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., a strong supporter of Israel who referred to his Jewish background in announcing his decision. When asked if they felt better off than they were three years ago, 49% of the respondents said yes, while 38% said no.

Kerry is vehemently defending the agreement.

Wednesday’s hearing was the third in a week, in which senior Obama administration officials have testified before congressional committees and tried to beat back Republican criticism of the Iran agreement.

On the other side of the issue, seven former U.S. diplomats and State Department officials sent a letter Monday to leaders in Congress urging them to support the pact.

Secretary of State John Kerry told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday he wanted to set the record straight on the Iran nuclear deal and equated walking away from the agreement to giving Tehran a fast track to a nuclear weapon.

He warned that rejecting the deal would effectively give Iran the go-ahead to build a nuclear bomb.

The agreement, seen as one of the most important worldwide agreements of nuclear age, would prevent Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons, could transform the Middle East, ease gas prices across the world and lift sanctions against Iran to facilitate global trade.

In a particularly terse showdown, Rep. Scott Perry challenged Kerry’s motivations for brokering the agreement, asking him if he represents the United Nations, or U.S. interests.

In his second appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a week, Mr Kerry emphasised that alternatives to the deal – suggested by Republicans – were “some kind of unicorn fantasy that contemplates Iran’s complete capitulation”.

Representative Ed Royce, the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Republican chairman, said the deal would provide Iran with a “cash bonanza”, while weakening Washington’s ability to pressure Tehran.

Details of the report, which haven’t been previously disclosed, indicate the deal reached this month could go ahead even if United Nations inspectors never ascertain conclusively whether Iran pursued a nuclear weapons program-something Tehran has repeatedly denied.

Congress has been given 60 days to review the deal and either approve or reject it, or do nothing.