Republicans plot more attacks to undercut Iran agreement: Report

Republicans in the US Congress opposing the Iran nuclear agreement are not giving up despite losing to Democrats this week, they are plotting additional attacks to undercut the deal, a report says.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a Republican resolution to reject the historic Vienna accord between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, ensuring that the deal can be implemented without Obama having to use his veto power.

“This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world,” President Barack Obama said after the vote.

Republican senators, who only a few months earlier vowed to muster 67 votes to override a presidential veto, fell two votes short needed to break a Democratic filibuster.

But, in the House of Representatives, Republicans succeeded to pass a resolution against the Iran agreement by 162 to 269 votes on Friday.

Disgrace in the House

The House vote, however, is symbolic that will have no consequence for the implementation of the nuclear agreement, reached between Iran and the P5+1 -- the US, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany -- in Vienna in mid-July.

“The fact that the House voted for this, all they have shown is their political opinions, it has no validity in law and it’s a disgrace,” Former Democratic Senator Mike Gravel told Press TV on Saturday.

“It is clearly led by the AIPAC’s influence on the House members and the Congress,” added Gravel, a candidate in the 2008 US presidential election.

'We’ll use every tool'

According to the Washington-based The Hill newspaper, Republicans in both chambers are now conspiring to launch new attacks to either undermine the accord or force Democrats to cast the same vote all over again.

“This debate is far from over and, frankly, it's just beginning,” House Speaker John Boehner, Republican from Ohio, vowed this week.

“This is a bad deal with decades-long consequences for the security of the American people and our allies,” he declared.

“And we'll use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow and delay this agreement from being fully implemented,” added Boehner, who earlier this year even invited the Israeli premier to Washington, DC to speak against the Iran deal.

One more vote on Tuesday 

In the Senate, minutes after Democrats filibustered legislation opposing the agreement, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, said senators will vote on the Iran deal one more time on Tuesday.

“We’ll revisit the issue next week, and see if maybe any folks want to change their minds,” the visibly shaken McConnell said on Thursday.

And his deputy, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told reporters, “It will be all Iran next week.”

“There are going to be more votes,” he said. “There will be other opportunities for people to change their mind next week, hopefully after they hear from their constituents.

Lawsuit threat against Obama

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Boehner threatened to sue Obama in order to stop him from finalizing the Iran deal.

He said during a news conference on Capitol Hill that legal action is “an option that’s very possible.”

“If you read the provisions in [the congressional review law], it’s pretty clear that the president has not complied,” the Republican said.

Republicans hollow posturing

Analysts, however, say that Republicans cannot stop the historic Vienna accord now; they are only hollow posturing to gain money from the Israel lobby.

Republican attempts such as holding a secondary vote or suing Obama are “all just hollow posturing on the part of the Republicans for money from the Israel lobby primarily, but also trying to create some type of issue for the upcoming presidential election,” E. Michael Jones told Press TV on Thursday.

Europe pulled this off 

Jones, former professor and editor of Culture Wars magazine, also revealed that the European states involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran warned Congress to approve the agreement or the Europeans would lift sanctions unilaterally.

“The European component to this deal sent a delegation to the United States’ Congress and said ‘if you do this [disapprove of the agreement], we’re leaving, we’re out of here, we’re going to lift the sanctions unilaterally,’” he stated.

“And that carried the day with these people because they know that the United States can’t continue this without them… Republicans know this, they were in on the briefing” he noted. 

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