Race to sign Iran nuclear deal before Republican takeover of Congress

[pampango]

Political obstacles to deal set to increase in January, after which Democratic leadership will be unable to halt new sanctions vote

Negotiators are racing to complete an elusive deal on the Iranian nuclear programme before conservatives in the US and Iran can close down the talks. The lead negotiators, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, and the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, emerged from the talks claiming that serious progress had been made and an accord was possible within the time allowed.

The decision to extend the talks for such a long period is a gamble. The reaction of hardliners in the US and Iran to the extension served as a reminder that the political obstacles to agreement will increase significantly.

Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican who has been one of the main promoters of congressional sanctions on Iran, claimed the prolongation of talks allowed the Iranians to continue their nuclear programme without the threat of sanctions. “The one thing the Iranians didn’t have was time, and now they have 219 days,” he said.

In Iran, hardline newspapers characterised the talks as a failure. Vatan-e Emrooz’s large one-word headline read: “Nothing”; the headline in the conservative Keyhan declared: “The sheriff [the US] is not to be trusted. Sanctions are extended.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/25/iran-nuclear-deal-us-congress?CMP=twt_gu

"Hardliners in the US and Iran" agree on disdain for further negotiations. Not surprising that hawks on both sides agree with each other - though, of course, they each cast the other side's hawks as evil 'others'.

The rush to conclude this before republicans take over the Senate is based on the likelihood that it will then pass a tougher sanctions bill against Iran. While that is probably true, even if the negotiations are concluded before that date, republicans will probably still pass a bill increasing sanctions. They will need to portray concluded negotiations are inadequate and too favorable to Iran in order to weaken Obama. Passing further sanctions would be consistent with that.