The sanctions regime against Iran would collapse if the Republican-majority Congress were to “kill” the historic nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic, as countries such as India, Japan and South Korea would no longer support any such move, the White House has warned.
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Spokesman Josh Earnest said the Obama administration will try to move forward on U.S.-Cuba relations using all the authorities it has.
He noted that the US negotiated the deal with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russian Federation and China and said the crippling effect of worldwide sanctions are what brought Iran to the negotiating table in the first place.
“Doing so would be contrary to your statement that “it’s important for the American people and Congress to get a full opportunity to review this deal…our national security policies are stronger and more effective when they are subject to the scrutiny and transparency that democracy demands””, it said.
Peter Roskam introduced heavily supported legislation on Wednesday condemning the recent Iranian nuclear deal. “The drawback is, Iran goes to get all of that cash and the U.S. does not get something for it”. Karl questioned Earnest on the number and how the White House got to it.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Deputy White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz said the Security Council’s review “does not lessen the importance of Congress or its review of the (agreement)”. The deal requires Iran to sharply curtail its nuclear activities, under global verification, in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. “We are deeply concerned that your administration plans to enable the United Nations Security Council to vote on the agreement before the United States Congress can do the same”, Corker and Sen.
Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the panel, said he also was distressed. “If the United States is signing onto the United Nations program and later on we’re not part of it, what we’ll do is inconsistent with the U.N. resolution, so it would be better not to have action on the U.N. resolution”, he argued. I talked to them this morning about the fact that I don’t think that was a prudent step.
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– Updated at 3:30 p.m.
