GOP senators: Congress should vote on Trump's potential Iran nuclear deal

A brace of hawkish, Trump-supporting Senate Republicans accidental that immoderate "lasting" Iran atomic deal would request to beryllium approved by Congress, ideally done a two-thirds bulk pact vote. 

But scoring a two-thirds bulk successful the Senate for pact ratification would necessitate Iran to fulfill a bid of steep demands. In summation to getting escaped of each of its enriched uranium and centrifuges, GOP lawmakers accidental it would request to dismantle its ballistic rocket programme and cease each enactment for violent groups across the Middle East.

"If they privation the astir durable and lasting benignant of deal, past they privation to bring it to the Senate and person it voted connected arsenic a treaty," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said successful effect to a question from Fox News Digital. 

"That was 1 crushed wherefore President Obama's woody was truthful weak," Cotton went on. "An statement betwixt the American president, whoever helium oregon she whitethorn be, and a overseas leader, tin beryllium reversed by aboriginal presidents, which President Trump rightly did 7 years agone today."

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Sen. Tom Cotton said, "If they privation the astir durable and lasting benignant of deal, past they privation to bring it to the Senate and person it voted connected arsenic a treaty." (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In 2015, Cotton led an unfastened missive signed by Senate Republicans to Iranian leaders informing that immoderate atomic statement not approved by Congress could beryllium undone by a aboriginal administration. The determination was wide viewed arsenic a nonstop effort to undermine President Barack Obama’s ongoing negotiations.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., echoed the telephone for legislature oversight, saying that "at a minimum" immoderate woody indispensable spell done the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), which passed Congress successful 2015 with resounding bipartisan enactment and guarantees lawmakers a accidental to reappraisal immoderate accord reached with Tehran.

Graham said helium had told Secretary of State Marco Rubio determination was "no way" to get 67 votes to ratify a pact statement without Iran wholly dismantling its atomic and rocket programs and enactment for terrorism. 

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 Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier a ballot connected Feb. 20, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The senators besides drew a parallel with the alleged 123 agreements – the ineligible frameworks that govern U.S. civilian atomic practice with overseas nations. These agreements necessitate strict safeguards to forestall the improvement of atomic weapons.

"It's besides customary successful immoderate cases for the Congress, not conscionable the Senate, to walk mean authorities that supports the alleged 123 agreements," Cotton noted, suggesting that immoderate broad woody with Iran should beryllium treated with akin legislative rigor.

Cotton and Graham spoke to reporters aft introducing a solution outlining "acceptable" presumption of an Iran deal, including full cessation of uranium enrichment. 

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has amassed capable highly enriched uranium to perchance physique respective atomic weapons if it chose to bash truthful – though U.S. quality assessments support that Tehran has not yet made a determination to weaponize.

Both U.S. and Israeli officials person ramped up their threats against the regime. Trump has made wide that if talks spell south, the U.S. volition prosecute successful nonstop subject enactment to thwart Iran’s atomic program. 

Iran's leader, Ali Khamenei, attends an lawsuit successful Tehran connected March 21, 2025. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Graham suggested the authorities lone has "weeks" to acquiesce to a deal. 

"We're not talking astir long, protracted negotiations," the South Carolina Republican said. "We're talking weeks, not months, not years. The imaginable of Iranian breakout looms ample here. Israel's tendency to bring closure to this contented looms ample here."