Democratic and Republican legislators have stepped up their attacks on a possible nuclear agreement being reached with Iran.
Many members of Congress have expressed increasing concern about the path taken by the Biden administration, and its attempt to marginalize Congress in ongoing negotiations to revive the 2015 deal.
Partisan frustration coincided with many questions arising about the terms of the agreement and its final text, the extent of Iran's commitment to it, and the extent to which it limits Tehran’s ability to possess a nuclear weapon or finance terrorism.
American legislators expressed their fears about the agreement being a “victory for Iran.”
Without an extension for the sunset clause, which expires in 2025, Iran will no longer face restrictions on developing advanced centrifuges. In 2031, the agreement will expire, lifting all obstacles that disrupt the Iranian nuclear program and allowing Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon with impunity.
“Their foreign policy has been an utter embarrassment and made us less safe,” tweeted Senator Bill Hagerty about the Biden administration’s conduct.
Hagerty blamed the Biden administration for “attempting to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal that enriches and assists the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism.”
Republican Senator Jim Risch said that the Biden administration is pressing for a nuclear agreement that is incompatible with US national security interests.
“Lifting sanctions will increase Iran's ability to finance terrorism, and will lead to further instability in the region,” he tweeted.
Republican lawmakers noted that the deal that Biden is close to signing is “worse than the one negotiated by Obama and provides Iran with hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen assets.”
Moreover, legislators argued that the deal pursued by the Biden administration changes non-secondary terrorist designations and lifts other secondary sanctions.
In less than six months, the deal would lift sanctions and arms embargoes imposed on Iran. This means that Iran would be able to obtain conventional weapons.
