House Republicans and Democrats joined forced on Thursday to demand that President Joe Biden give them more information on nuclear deal talks with Iran, claiming that aspects of the ongoing negotiations are already ‘highly concerning.’
A bipartisan group of 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans sent Biden a letter urging him to reach a ‘longer and stronger’ agreement with Tehran than the US government did under former President Barack Obama.
It comes as reports indicate the months-long indirect talks in Vienna have hit a road bump after Western diplomats indicated they were nearing the end of discussions.
The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the US from the multi-national Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018. Since then Iran has been building up its nuclear capabilities at an alarming rate.
The 2015 deal struck between Iran, the European Union and the five permanent members of the United Nations National Security Council — which includes the US, Russia and China — offered sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.
‘Since the beginning of this Administration, we have hoped that renewed negotiations with Iran would achieve a longer and stronger agreement than the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), with clear nuclear restrictions and provisions addressing Iran’s international terror and missile programs,’ Thursday’s letter reads.
Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey (left) and Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska are two of the 21 signatories to the letter sent to President Biden and State Secretary Blinken on Thursday
It was led by Democrat Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Elaine Luria of Virginia along with Republican Rep. Tom Reed of New York. The letter was also signed by GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Maine Democrat Rep. Jared Golden, among others.
‘Among other issues, we are highly concerned about reports indicating the potential lifting of the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)1 and of the sanctions placed on members of the office of the Supreme Leader,’ the lawmakers wrote.
‘Without adequately addressing Iran’s role as the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror — which was noticeably absent from the 2015 JCPOA — and simultaneously providing billions of dollars in sanctions relief, the United States would be providing a clear path for Iranian proxies to continue fueling terrorism.’
Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act passed in 2015, the president must submit any new agreement with Tehran officials to Congress for approval.
The 21 bipartisan legislators who signed onto the letter threatened to withhold their support if ‘satisfactory answers’ were not provided to their written questions.
‘We will review any agreement closely, but from what we currently understand, it is hard to envision supporting an agreement along the lines being publicly discussed,’ they claimed.
They outline 16 questions for Biden to answer regarding ongoing talks in Vienna about a new nuclear deal as both sides accuse the other of making unnecessary demands and delaying the negotiation process
Among their concerns was which specific sanctions targeting Iranian entities and its leaders would be lifted, how much money Iran would generate in its first year re-connected to western markets, whether there would be any benefit to Russia and what, if any, guardrails would be in place should Tehran run afoul of its commitments.
They also sought guarantees that Biden would indeed seek Congressional approval before entering into a deal with Iran’s Islamic republic government.
France’s Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday that the window to reach a consensus on a new deal was closing.
But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki disputed that when asked about France’s assessment at her daily briefing.
‘Our view is that we are close, we have been close for some time now,’ Psaki said.
‘Before that the end of negotiations is always when the difficult and challenging parts of the conversation typically take place. So I wouldn’t make that assessment or echo that from here.
‘We are continuing to have these diplomatic talks. It is in all of our interests to stay at the negotiating table.’
There has been renewed interest in getting Iran back on board with a nuclear agreement since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded neighboring Ukraine late last month.
As one of the world’s main exporters of oil and natural gas, Russia’s unprovoked and bloody attack sent shockwaves through the global energy supply chain. Subsequent restrictions imposed by other governments and energy companies voluntarily severing ties with Moscow have helped further drive fuel prices to record highs in Europe and the United States.
A new agreement would help return Iran’s oil to the global market at a critical time.
The lawmakers threatened to withhold support for a future Iran deal if their questions are not answered. Thanks to a 2015 law, the president must seek Congressional approval when entering into such an agreement with Iran
But Tehran is insisting that for any deal to move forward, the US must lift the ‘foreign terrorist organization’ label given to its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military, European officials told the New York Times. It was designated as such by Donald Trump in 2019.
The IRGC’s terrorism designation was among the topics of interest for the lawmakers who wrote Thursday’s letter to Biden, signaling he would face some opposition in Congress.
Moscow further complicated the talks over the weekend when its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov demanded a written guarantee that the US’s sanctions on Russia — levied in retaliation for its attack on Ukraine — will not interfere with trade between the Kremlin and Tehran.
Meanwhile Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his nation would not give up elements of ‘national strength’ like its nuclear progress, which has been of concern to western governments
Lavrov said it was imperative to know that sanctions ‘launched by the U.S. will not in any way harm our right to free, fully fledged trade and economic and investment cooperation and military-technical cooperation with Iran.’
Western governments including the US have dismissed Lavrov’s demand as untenable.
Russia’s ambassador in the Vienna talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, told journalists in Vienna on Wednesday that ‘maybe it will be finalized tomorrow, maybe – but it’s not for sure.’
Iran also wants guarantees that no US president would pull out of the deal again — a tough sell in Congress where Republicans have largely been opposed to cooperating with Tehran.
But Iran on Thursday said the United States has made extra demands and accused it of working to ‘complicate’ efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in major state policies, meanwhile, stressed his country will not give up on elements of ‘national strength’, such as nuclear progress and regional influence.
‘There is no rational justification for some of the new demands made by the United States, and it contradicts the country’s position on reaching an agreement swiftly,’ Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, his ministry reported.
The Tehran official did not specify the demands, but said ‘the US cannot pass on a new and different message to us every day through the coordinator’, in reference to the EU.
Borrell called on the US and Iran to be ‘more flexible in exchanging messages and make efforts’ to reach an agreement quickly, according to the ministry.
