Democratic Minority Leader in the U.S. Senate Supports Iran Deal

The Democratic Minority Leader in the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid, has announced his "strong support" for the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, stating he will do everything he can to ensure the agreement is ultimately approved. According to reports from the United States, Senator Harry Reid's support for the nuclear deal increases its chances of final approval. In a statement on August 23, he said, "One of the most important security challenges of our generation is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. This is a very sensitive goal for the national security of the United States, Israel, and the world. After years of study and months of careful review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the related agreement, I am announcing my support for it, believing that this agreement is the best way to prevent Iran from accessing nuclear weapons." Tehran has always emphasized that its intention with its nuclear program is not to build nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, tensions and Tehran's lack of cooperation with international organizations brought Iran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, which marked the beginning of a wave of extensive global sanctions from Western countries. Iran and six world powers reached an agreement on July 14 in Vienna, which is now under review in the U.S. Congress. The Republican majority in Congress opposes the agreement, but with the support of one-third of the representatives, the President of the United States can use his veto power to prevent the agreement from being rejected and ultimately approve it. Senator Harry Reid's support brings the number of supporters of the agreement in the Senate who have publicly declared their support to 27. Only two Democratic representatives, including Senator Charles Schumer, who the Washington Post says will likely replace Reid in the future, have opposed it. Senator Harry Reid has stated he is "cautiously optimistic" that he will be able to garner sufficient support for the nuclear agreement. Last month, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, the other chamber of the U.S. Congress, stated that the nuclear agreement has her "strong backing" and she is working to garner support from other representatives on this matter.