Kerry Asks Congress to Give Space for Final Agreement with Iran

John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, on Monday, April 13, urged Republican and Democratic representatives in Congress to give the government two and a half more months to reach a final nuclear agreement with Iran. Mr. Kerry attended a closed-door meeting with U.S. representatives in the House of Representatives to provide explanations regarding the nuclear negotiations with Iran. He is scheduled to go to the Senate on Tuesday to offer further explanations. Reuters reports that before meeting with lawmakers in the House, he told reporters, 'We hope Congress listens carefully... but at the same time gives us space to accomplish a very heavy task.' The Secretaries of Energy and Treasury also accompanied Kerry in this meeting. Iran and the negotiating countries in the 5+1 group reached an understanding on April 2 that outlines the framework for a final agreement. The parties are expected to reach a comprehensive and final agreement by the end of June (in two and a half months), which would ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and verify this issue while also opening a path to lift sanctions. However, the issue of sanctions and how to lift them all at once or step by step is one of the most significant points of contention between the parties. Some senior members of the U.S. Congress, who have a Republican majority in both the House and Senate opposing Barack Obama, are critics of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate is set to vote on April 14 (April 25 local time) on a proposal for Congress's final authorization of the comprehensive agreement with Iran. Barack Obama previously stated that he would veto such a proposal; one day before it is put to a vote, the White House reiterated its opposition to congressional intervention in this matter and stated that it would veto any congressional resolution on this issue. The U.S. Secretary of State also asked Congress members on Sunday, April 12, not to intervene until the conclusion of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Nevertheless, there is speculation that the support of some Democratic representatives alongside Republicans could raise the number of votes above two-thirds of the representatives, which would prevent the President from vetoing. In this context, Obama expressed hope for a nuclear agreement following the remarks of the Iranian leader.