US House minority leader announces opposition to anti-Iran bill
The minority leader of the United States House of Representatives has announced she will oppose legislation that would prevent the Obama administration from lifting sanctions against Iran until Congress reviews a nuclear deal.
Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that the bill, sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, threatens to sabotage a potential nuclear agreement with Tehran that has entered the final stages of negotiations, The Hill reported.
The California Democrat called on lawmakers to oppose the proposal in order to allow negotiators the space to work out the final details ahead of June 30, the deadline for the P5+1 and Iran to reach a final accord.
“Diplomacy has taken us to a framework agreement founded on vigilance and enforcement, and these negotiations must be allowed to proceed unencumbered," Pelosi said in a statement.
“Senator Corker’s legislation undermines these international negotiations and represents an unnecessary hurdle to achieving a strong, final agreement,” she said.
The P5+1 group – the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – reached an outline of a potentially historic agreement with Iran on April 2 over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work that would lift all international sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic in exchange for certain steps Tehran will take with regard to its nuclear program.
US President Barack Obama has hailed the "historic understanding" with Iran, saying that it paves the way for a final agreement in three months.
On Wednesday, Obama called Bob Corker to try to dissuade him from pushing anti-Iran legislation.
The US president reportedly told Corker “this principled approach to diplomacy is the best way” to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
Pelosi's statement on Wednesday clearly showed her position on the bill.
“In the weeks ahead, we must give this diplomatic framework room to succeed so that we can judge a June 30th agreement on its merits,” she said.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on the bill, which would give Congress two months to review a nuclear deal with Iran before any Congress-mandated sanctions are removed.
The Obama administration wants the Republican-dominated Congress to postpone any vote on the Iran nuclear agreement until at least June 30.
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