Republican senators demand answers from Kerry on Iran

A group of 31 senators warned Secretary of State John Kerry against making any nuclear concessions to Iran that would pose a threat to the U.S.

In a letter spearheaded by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), the senators expressed grave concern over “troubling” reports that the administration is considering a deal that would allow Iranian nuclear centrifuges to be “disconnected” instead of “dismantled.

“We have learned that the United States and its P5+1 negotiating partners may now be offering troubling nuclear concessions to Iran in the hopes of rapidly concluding negotiations for a ‘deal’,” the lawmakers wrote to Kerry. “Given that a nuclear Iran poses the greatest long-term threat to the security of the United States, Israel, and other allies, we are gravely concerned about the possibility of any new agreement that, in return for further relief of U.S.-led international sanctions, would allow Iran to produce explosive nuclear material.”

In a statement Saturday, Kirk said Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her team “are getting desperate, floating these so-called ‘creative solutions’ to hide the fact that they haven’t gotten Iran to agree to a single irreversible step to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons capability.”

As world leaders begin a new round of talks aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, the deadline to reach a deal by Nov. 24 is just months away.

The letter was also signed by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Michael B. Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), David Vitter (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger F. Wicker (R-Miss.), James E. Risch (R-Idaho) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).