Posted on 01/25/2022 2:35:50 AM PST by gattaca
The Biden administration is withholding a "secret agreement" with Iran from Congress as negotiations over a revamped nuclear deal continue in Vienna, according to two Republican lawmakers.
Reports emerged late Friday that Russia proposed an interim nuclear deal to Iran with the knowledge of U.S. officials. The deal would reportedly lift some sanctions on Iran in exchange for a limited set of restrictions on the country’s nuclear program. Russia offered the deal to Iran on the sidelines of ongoing negotiations in Vienna, according to NBC News, which first reported on the document. Tehran is said to have rejected the interim deal, saying that it prefers a large-scale agreement that will provide it with billions in cash windfalls. Republican lawmakers say details of the agreement are being kept from Congress.
"Russia sent a secret agreement to Iran," Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon on Friday during a press call. "Russia is trying to take the lead now in the negotiations with Iran. This is a secret agreement. We haven’t seen it."
The existence of this document indicates that the United States and international partners are eyeing an alternative interim agreement with Iran as efforts to ink a revamped version of the 2015 accord stall due to Iran’s increasingly hardline stance. Republicans in Congress say that, during the past year, the Biden administration has ignored requests for briefings on the status of talks and what a new deal will look like. The Free Beacon first reported last week that the Biden administration is obstructing more than a dozen congressional investigations into the negotiations and sanctions relief.
The Biden administration is required to present any new deal to Congress before it is signed due to a 2015 law, the Iran Nuclear Deal Review Act, that was passed after the Obama administration skirted congressional oversight to sign the original accord.
"Reports that the Biden administration is working with the Russians on a secret nuclear agreement with Iran are doubly concerning," Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Free Beacon. "First, they create a conflict of interest with Russia as we are trying to prevent an invasion of Ukraine. Second, preemptive sanctions relief, and failure to transmit an interim agreement to Congress, would violate the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. The administration needs to end their simultaneous surrender to Russia and Iran before it's too late."
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference, said during Friday’s call that the Biden administration is more secretive about negotiations than the Obama administration.
"In the Obama era they tried to communicate with members of Congress to try to convince us—they didn’t—that it was a good deal," Stefanik said. "But there has been virtually no communication with the Biden admin and House Republicans on important committees related to this issue."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a Friday press conference after a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister, said the United States hopes that Moscow will use its influence with Iran to push it into accepting a new deal.
"I have to say that Russia shares our sense of urgency, the need to see if we can come back into mutual compliance in the weeks ahead," Blinken said. "And we hope that Russia will use the influence that it has and relationship that it has with Iran to impress upon Iran that sense of urgency, and equally, that if we’re unable to do that because Iran refuses to undertake the obligations that are necessary, that we will pursue a different path in dealing with the danger posed by Iran’s renewed nuclear program."
McCaul also disclosed on the press call that unclassified estimates indicate Iran is "on the cusp of their enrichment to nuclear grade" material and will have a functional "nuclear bomb within the next year to a year and a half."
As negotiations took place during the past year, Iran amplified its enrichment of uranium—the key component in an atomic bomb—to historically high levels. It also has continued work on ballistic missiles and other advanced equipment that can supplement its nuclear program.
If a new deal with the United States is reached, Iran will see all economic sanctions imposed on it by the Trump administration removed. This includes sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, a key source of cash for the regime.
10% for Captain Underpants.
Impeach. 😀😊
Ukraine, Taiwan, Middle East will all explode simultaneously. The Biden family will just sit back and count their money.
We’re being dictated terms by a coalition of Iran Russia and China.
They have to move fast, because by next year Congress will not ratify any agreements with Iran. Obama, I mean Joe Biden, must know that. Joe must know that the mid terms are a done deal with the economic data worsening at this point, he’s hoping that by 2024 that people won’t remember.
Hussein’s pals.
RE: Ukraine, Taiwan, Middle East will all explode simultaneously.
I think you are right. Elections have consequences and I think we are going to pay the consequences for that 82 million votes Dimjo received. Soon!
85 million votes, NOT 82 million voters
They’re gonna get us all killed. Which everyday there’s more and more evidence that that’s what democrats want.
They have to move fast, because by next year Congress will not ratify any agreements with Iran. Obama, I mean Joe Biden, must know that.
McConnell will be happy to grease Biden’s Iran deal as he did for Obama on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Boeing has airplanes to sell to Iran. The GOP is working for them.
The distinction between votes and voters is the right one.
Not a lot of voters wanted Biden to be president. And yet a whole lot of votes were counted, and here we are.
“The just power of government flows from the informed consent of the governed.”
Secret agreements, unknown not only to the general public, but even to members of Congress, deny informed consent and thus the fact of the power being just.
No more proof is needed that the Jihad Junta is in control of the White Basement.
They will kill our way of life (they have a good headstart on that), our economy (ditto) and if we have nuclear war here on our soil, our gutless leaders will turn into surrender monkeys overnight while they slink away to some luxury island with their billions.
The “just power” of government is only part of its total power.
And to those who are in power, “the vote” is the equivalent of consent, and disagreement is sedition. They use force of violence to enforce these points.
” more secretive about negotiations than the Obama administration. “
I’ve got news...this is the Obama administration, they’ve just wised up a bit from the first eight year disaster.
The Brandon administration is the Obama administration. Obama learned from his mistakes to not make the same mistake in his third administration. Dr. Jill acting as pResident is basically blackmailed to keep her mouth shut and follow orders.
Certainly sounds and looks that way......makes ya wonder who’s leading who by the nose.
More proof that Obama is still president.
The deal is…no nuke until Biden leaves office.
Kick that can to a future US president.
Like Kamala Harris.
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