Two actions were undertaken on Thursday May 7 in the US Senate and House of Representatives which will have an impact on the multilateral nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world powers. By a vote of 98 to 1 (with 1 abstention), the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that gives the Congress oversight on any comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran. Meanwhile, 150 House Democrats (145 voting members and 5 non-voting members), signed a letter of support for the President’s diplomatic effort to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
Given the level of mistrust between the US and Iran, the Senate’s games are ultimately harmful to an amicable resolution to the nuclear dispute.