Clinton hails successful conclusion of Iran nuclear talks

Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has hailed the successful conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

Speaking during a town hall meeting on Thursday night in Dover, New Hampshire, the former US secretary of state said the nuclear agreement “basically does put a lid, for a time period, on the Iranian program.”

After 18 days of intensive talks in Vienna on Tuesday, Iran and the P5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany - reached a conclusion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which will put limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

According to the JCPOA text, Iran will be recognized by the United Nations as a nuclear power and will continue its uranium enrichment program.

On Wednesday, the 159-page JCPOA document was presented to the Republican-controlled Congress, which now has up to 60 days to review the text and vote to either approve or disapprove of it.

Most Republicans oppose the nuclear agreement with Iran, but they need a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress to override a possible presidential veto, and to reach that threshold, Republicans need Democratic support.

After praising the nuclear agreement, Clinton changed her tone and appeared to be siding with the Republicans. She offered her negative judgment, saying the United States should not trust Tehran.

“There are people on the other side of this who I respect,” she said.

“I think it is a respectable argument,” she added. “However, I am going to ask, what are our alternatives?” “Do I trust the Iranians?” she said. “Absolutely not.”

“I am hoping that we move forward on this agreement with our eyes wide open,” Clinton said.

According to a report published last week, Republicans in the Senate launched efforts to seek Clinton’s help to torpedo the nuclear accord with Iran.

Senate Republicans are admitting that they probably will not get enough votes to cancel President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran unless they can swing a key Democratic figure against the agreement, the Washington-based newspaper, The Hill, reported on July 10. 

They are devising plans to tie the former secretary of state to the nuclear accord and use this to pressure her to oppose it.

Republicans need 67 Senate votes to overrule the expected presidential veto and keep sanctions against Iran in place.

“It could be a good policy strategy. It’s not going to be hard to come up with 34 Democrats to sustain a veto,” said a senior Republican aide.

“The best chance of defeating it may be the inside embarrassment factor, getting Hillary Clinton or Chuck Schumer to walk into the Oval Office and tell the president we can’t sustain this,” the aide added, referring to Senator Charles Schumer.

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