WASHINGTON
U.S. Republican senators Monday asked the White House to introduce additional sanctions on Iran over the extension of talks about its controversial nuclear program.
Iran and the world powers group called the P5+1 agreed Monday in Vienna to extend nuclear talks until the end of June 2015, after failing to meet the Nov. 24 deadline for a permanent settlement.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry underscored the positives at a press conference at the end of the Vienna talks; however, U.S. lawmakers are not comfortable with the outcome of the already extended talks.
"We believe this latest extension of talks should be coupled with increased sanctions and a requirement that any final deal between Iran and the United States be sent to Congress for approval, said Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte and John McCain, in a joint statement.
A year ago in Geneva, world powers launched talks with Tehran on its nuclear program. As a result of those discussions, the parties reached an agreement on a Joint Plan of Action that stipulated a freeze on Iran's nuclear facilities for six months until the sides could reached a comprehensive agreement.
The talks were extended in July for an additional six months but still the parties could not reach a comprehensive agreement.
"While we strongly support diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting, verifiable agreement with Iran that permanently ends Iran's nuclear weapons program, we must avoid negotiating a deal that puts the security of the United States or our allies at risk and fails to address Iran's decades-long history of cheating and subterfuge," the senators said.
They emphasized that Iranian insistence on having an enrichment program is problematic and warned that the world could see similar results as those of the talks with North Korea.
"Years ago, the international community allowed North Korea a small nuclear program which was to be controlled and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency," they said. "Unfortunately, the inspectors were thrown out and North Korea was able to develop and test nuclear weapons."
They also defended the Iran sanctions introduced by Congress, noting that the restrictions played a key role in bringing Iranian to the negotiating table.
"If the P5+1 negotiates a good deal which successfully dismantles Iran's nuclear weapons program, it will receive an overwhelming vote in support. However, if it sets the stage for the creation of another North Korea, we will vote against it and expect Congress to reject it," they added.
The White House responded to the statement noting that additional sanctions would be "counterproductive."
"The concern that we have is that layering on additional sanctions could leave some of our partners with the impression that the sanctions regime is more punitive in nature than anything else, and that could cause some cracks in that international coordination to appear," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
Noting that there are substantial gaps that remain between the parties, Earnest said that enough progress has been made to warrant giving the Iranian regime the opportunity to answer the international community’s concerns about their nuclear program.
On the other hand, Jeff Rathke, State Department Director of Office of Press Relations, said that on the issue, Secretary Kerry has been in contact with congressional leaders and ranking members of the Congress.
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