In the latest Congressional attempt to sabotage peace talks, 47 Republican senators have taken the unusual step of directly threatening Iranian leaders that, if a deal were reached, it would not survive after Barack Obama leaves the presidency.
In an open letter (pdf) sent Monday to the “Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the entire leadership of the Senate Republicans warned, “We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei.”
“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of an agreement at any time,” continues the letter, which was organized by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)—who has vigorously opposed a deal with Iran. In 2013, he went so far as to propose legislation that would punish family members of people who violate U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Signatories to the letter include potential candidates for the 2016 presidential elections: Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.).
First reported by Josh Rogin for Bloomberg, the letter was presented as a lesson on U.S. politics for Iranian heads of state who “may not fully understand our constitutional system.”
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