Senator fears Iran deal's terms could prevent future sanctions

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said late last week that the current nuclear agreement with Iran could allow Tehran to block future sanctions, including for terrorism, by threatening to stop compliance with the agreement.

“It’s worth noting that real questions about sanctions relief remain. On the same day the U.N. passed the resolution endorsing the deal and setting up the snapback mechanism, Iran wrote a letter to the U.N. saying they would treat use of the snapback as grounds to walk out of the agreement," Corker said. "While this agreement is not intended to address terrorism, many of us worry that the agreement will prevent the U.S. from using economic tools to counter Iranian regional aggression.”

Corker said reauthorization of the Iran Sanctions Act, which expires at the end of 2016, was an example of an action Iran could use to accuse the U.S. of violating the agreement.

The committee’s third hearing on the Iran deal featured testimony from Juan Zarate, a former U.S. counterterrorism official, and Richard Nephew, a former sanctions expert at the State Department.

“With strategic patience, Iran can march toward a weaponized program with greater capabilities, breakout capacity, and more economic resources, resilience, and connectivity to the global oil markets and commercial system,” Zarate said.