Robert Malley to Brief Congress on Iran Nuclear Program
White House Iran envoy Robert Malley will brief members of Congress about the status of nuclear negotiations with Tehran today.
If the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal were revived it would shut down Iran’s uranium enrichment program, lift sanctions imposed on Iran over the last few decades and allow the full resumption of Iranian oil production.
Several weeks ago, negotiations appeared to be progressing after Iran agreed to concessions in a recent draft for the agreement. However, the US criticized Iran’s latest response to the draft as a regression. Iran demands that the International Atomic Energy Agency close its investigation into several undeclared nuclear sites, a condition that the US rejects.
The Biden administration also faces domestic challenges in implementing a new deal. A bipartisan group of 50 House lawmakers have expressed concerns over it, particularly on Iran’s ability to financially gain from sanctions relief and project power that threaten US interests. Members of Congress have requested to approve a finalized deal before implementation, however there is no congressional oversight needed on a renewed deal as it’s an Executive Agreement. Conversely, the Biden administration will likely seek to draw out negotiations until after midterm elections to avoid criticism against the Democratic party.
