US Republicans "Will Not Support Iran Nuclear Deal Restoration Talks"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. Republican senators have declared that they will not support the restoration negotiations of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). As the restoration talks near their final stages, the controversy over the deal within U.S. political circles is intensifying, raising concerns that the negotiations may collapse once again.

According to CNN and other foreign media on the 14th (local time), 49 out of 50 U.S. Republican senators issued a joint statement declaring that they do not support the Biden administration's efforts to restore the Iran nuclear deal. In the statement, the senators harshly criticized the agreement as "one that cannot completely block Iran's nuclear weapons development capabilities, does not restrict its ballistic missile program, and does not address Iran's terrorism support issues," emphasizing that they will "do everything possible to break such an agreement."

Senator Rand Paul, the only Republican senator who did not sign the joint statement, issued a separate statement via email, saying, "Opposing an agreement that has not yet been formalized is an act of condemning diplomacy itself," and added, "This cannot be considered a thoughtful action."

Not only among Republicans but also within the Democratic Party, debates over the Iran nuclear deal restoration negotiations continue, raising concerns that even if an agreement is reached, it will face significant difficulties passing through the U.S. Congress.

The Iranian government is also urging a decision from the U.S. Congress. Said Khatibzadeh, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a briefing that "Currently, we are taking a short break regarding the nuclear deal restoration negotiations," and pointed out that "due to important issues that the U.S. must decide on, we have not reached a point where an agreement can be announced."

Earlier, as Russia raised the Iran nuclear deal issue to counter U.S. and Western sanctions, the negotiations, which were nearing their final stages, have encountered difficulties again. On the 5th, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded guarantees that trade relations between Russia and Iran would not be affected by international sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and the West opposed this, raising concerns that the negotiations may break down once more.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.