Thune says Congress needs more information about US-Iran peace deal

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he doesn’t yet have enough information to make a judgment about the peace deal between the United States and Iran announced by President Trump on Sunday, and he urged the administration to send senior officials to Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the details.

“I don’t know enough about it to say” whether it’s a good deal, Thune said Monday.

Thune told reporters he hasn’t been briefed on the memorandum of understanding laying out the framework of the peace agreement and expressed hope that senators would learn more about the details before U.S. and Iranian officials sign it in person in Geneva on Friday.

“I hope we get more details about it before Friday,” he said.

Trump and Vice President Vance electronically signed the agreement with Iran on Sunday.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has also signed it.

Thune said a lot will depend on how the agreement handles Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, something Trump and many Republican senators say cannot be allowed to happen.

“My understanding of what it entails — again, not having seen anything — I think the issues are going to be compliance and how you’re going to enforce that and what are the financial incentives the Iranians are going to have from our country.” Thune said.

The Senate GOP leader said if the deal provides financial incentives to Iran that are “conditioned upon on them winding down their nuclear program and getting rid of the enriched uranium” to prevent the development of a nuclear weapon, “that would be good.”

Thune said Congress may have to vote on the deal, possibly on a resolution of disapproval, which would be unlikely to pass.

“I think there are some requirements that are triggered because of the nuclear components of the deal, in terms of notification or informing Congress. I know there is probably some expectation that there may be a vote at some point,” he added.

Asked if Vance will come to the Capitol to brief senators, Thune said, “Someone will need to.”

“For sure, our members are going to have a lot of questions about it,” he said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) called on the Trump administration to brief members of Congress immediately on the deal, expressing skepticism about whether it would last or make any real impact on Iran’s ambition to develop a nuclear weapon.

“There have been divergent statements from a variety of people in the administration. In these high-stakes negotiations, the devil is in the details, but Trump hasn’t even released the text of his ‘understanding’ with Iran. The American people need to know exactly what’s in the deal,” he said.

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John Thune

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