As nuclear negotiations approach their final, critical phase, with Tehran insisting on receiving guarantees from Washington, around 200 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration not to provide any guarantees to Iran regarding its nuclear program. They also warned against signing another nuclear deal with the Iranian authorities without the approval of legislators and Congress, arguing that it would "meet the same fate" as the 2015 agreement signed by former President Barack Obama.
**Congress Approval**
In their letter to Biden, they wrote, "If you make a deal with the Supreme Leader of Iran without formal congressional approval, it will be temporary and non-binding and will face the same fate as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," according to U.S. media reports on Thursday. They emphasized that they "are compelled to remind Biden that he does not have the ability to provide any guarantees to Tehran."
**"Verification and Accountability First"**
The group of lawmakers indicated that they would use the 30-day period law to warn their colleagues, the American public, and the private sector of any risks or flaws that such an agreement might entail. The letter also stressed that any move to lift sanctions on Iran must not proceed "without first verifying that it has been held accountable for all of its past and present undeclared nuclear activities, and that it has fully dismantled its enrichment-related infrastructure and capabilities."
The letter appears to be a response to remarks made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Wednesday. He stated in an interview with the Financial Times that he had asked negotiators in Vienna to propose that the U.S. Congress issue a "political statement" reaffirming its commitment to the nuclear agreement as part of the guarantees for returning to it.
It is noteworthy that U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price announced on Wednesday that the country is now in the "final stages" of indirect talks with Tehran aimed at salvaging the 2015 agreement, from which former President Donald Trump's administration withdrew in 2018, re-imposing numerous sanctions on Iranian authorities. He told reporters, "We have indeed reached a critical juncture at which we will be able to determine whether returning to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is imminent or not."
In turn, Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani stated that "after weeks of intensive talks, the country is closer than ever to reaching an agreement." However, he added in a tweet on Wednesday that "no agreement on anything has been reached unless everything is agreed upon."
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that there are only days left to make a decision regarding the revival of the agreement between Iran and global powers, but he stated that the matter now rests in Tehran's hands to make the political decision.
