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House votes against Iran deal

September 11, 2015

The House of Representatives has defeated a resolution backing the US's nuclear agreement with Iran. A Democratic minority in the US Senate staved off the united Republican effort to sink the Iran nuclear deal Thursday.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GVJK
USA Protest gegen das Atomabkommen mit dem Iran
Image: Imago/Xinhua

House members voted 269-162 to defeat the resolution Friday, part of an effort by congressional Republicans to underscore their objection to an accord reached to regulate Iran's nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions. However, a vote Thursday in the Senate had already blocked the Republican-led effort to kill the international pact.

All 42 of the Senate votes not to advance the measure on Thursday were from Democrats or independents who normally vote with them. Four Democratic senators sided with Republicans. After Thursday's motion, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, immediately took steps to push for another vote.

Republicans have attempted to gain political points by rallying supporters against the deal, seen by many as a key foreign policy victory for US President Barack Obama. The deal had even united rival Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. On Wednesday, ahead of the two days of congressional votes, the Texas Senator Cruz had rallied Tea Party Republicans in Washington, DC (pictured).

'Good news'

Congress had previously passed legislation giving lawmakers 60 days to review the July accord between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, a bloc often referred to as the P5+1. That legislation is set to expire on September 17, which White House officials say they are looking forward to.

"That will be good news, and it will mean that the international community can move forward with implementing the agreement," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday.

From next week, the Obama administration will be free to start scaling back US sanctions against Iran.

"This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security and for the safety and security of the world," the US president said in a statement on Thursday. "Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon."

mkg/gb (Reuters, AP)