Israel doesn’t like what it’s hearing on an Iran nuke deal. Will Obama trade Israel for Iran? US President Obama (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (right). Illustrative. (Photo Courtesy of Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Members of the United States Congress sound optimistic about passing legislation that would require any Iranian nuclear deal to be reviewed by the American legislature and the rhetoric opposing the deal is heating up. One sponsor of the measure, Senator Bob Corker, told CNN he believes the Obama administration is “obviously moving away from Israel toward a relationship with Iran.”
In comments to CNN’s “Wolf” program last Friday reposted on Corker’s website, Corker said a bill that would demand a Congressional review of any nuclear deal with Iran before President Barack Obama can unwind sanctions on Iran as part of the deal should move forward in April. Overall, he expects it to pass. Senator Mitch McConnell said the bill has “bipartisan support” in comments in Israel on Sunday.
McConnell, in comments released by Netanyahu’s office, told the Israeli leader that the group of US senators accompanying him in Israel “share your concerns about this potential agreement and there are options that the United States has in a wake of an agreement and if there is no agreement.”
He said that if there is a deal, they are working to pass the bill requiring Congressional approval, and if there is no deal, “then the view of this group… is that ratcheting up sanctions [on Iran] might be the best direction to take.”
The comments come as a self-imposed goal of reaching some type of nuclear deal by the end of March rapidly approaches.
Netanyahu, in comments with McConnell, sounded the alarm that the deal under discussion is “a deal that from everything that we hear paves Iran’s way to the bomb.”
In separate comments to the Israeli cabinet released by his office, Netanyahu said the Iranian deal “as it appears, confirms all of our concerns and even more so.”
Netanyahu highlighted the conflict in Yemen, where a coalition of Arab nations are battling Iranian allies, as an example of Iran’s aggression in the region and the danger that that nation poses.
Corker noted that concern as well. He pointed out that the reduction in sanctions and pressure on Iran as part of a nuclear deal would allow their economic situation to improve so they can “even more fully destabilize the region.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, March 29, 2015)