WASHINGTON
A congressional vote to undermine a recently brokered nuclear deal with Iran would be a victory for Tehran, the White House said Friday.
“If the U.S. Congress votes to kill this deal, Iran will get all the benefits of this deal without having to give up anything,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.
Under the accord that was brokered between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, Tehran will begin to receive much-needed sanctions relief once it verifiably curtails its nuclear program and submits to international inspections of its nuclear program.
Responding to criticism that the international agreement ultimately emboldens Iran, Earnest said, “There's nothing that Iran could do to be further emboldened than to obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Congress has 60 days to review the deal.
Obama needs the support of 34 of the 100 senators to protect his veto authority from potentially being overridden.
Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote in both houses to override a presidential veto.
World powers and Iran spent nearly two years trying to reach the milestone agreement with successive rounds of talks being extended beyond established deadlines.
