Sen. Cotton says GOP letter to Iran has more support in Congress

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:55PM

Sen. Tom Cotton, author of a much-criticized letter to Iran's leaders, says the letter has more support in the US Congress than the 46 Republican senators who have co-signed it.

In an open letter to leaders of the Islamic Republic on Monday, 47 Republican senators warned that a potential nuclear deal with Tehran would not be acceptable until it is approved by the US Congress.

They also said the agreement would be abandoned after President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017. 'The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.'

The White House was quick in its condemnation of the letter, accusing Republicans of throwing "sand in the gears" of the talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries – the US, Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany, which have entered a sensitive final stage.

Sen. Cotton, refused to acknowledge that the letter was meant to undermine Obama's efforts in nuclear negotiations with Iran.

But he said the letter has widespread support in Congress.

"I talked with all Senate Republicans, we worked with many Senate Democrats, many senators didn't sign for various reasons but many senators agree with my views even if they didn't sign the letter,"he said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

In another interview, the senator said he welcomed more senators to join his open letter. "We have four potential candidates in the US Senate on the letter," Cotton said on CNN's "New Day" Tuesday morning.

"I welcome even Hillary Clinton to join us because I suspect she might have reservations about this ill-fated nuclear deal as well," he added.

President Obama has lashed out at Republicans for undermining his foreign policy.

'I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members for Congress wanting to make common cause with the hardliners in Iran. It's an unusual coalition,' Obama said Monday.

Obama stressed that he was confident any deal with Iran would be implemented. 'I think what we're going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we're going to get a deal or not. Once we do, if we do, we'll be able to make the case to the American people, and I'm confident we'll be able to implement it.'

Tehran has dismissed the GOP move as a publicity stunt that has no legal value.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday it was ironic that members of the US Congress find it appropriate to write to leaders of another country against their own president.

He pointed out that the authors do not understand international law when it comes to presidential powers in the conduct of foreign policy.

'I should bring one important point to the attention of the authors and that is, the world is not the United States, and the conduct of inter-state relations is governed by international law, and not by US domestic law," the foreign minister stated.

HRJ/HRJ