US senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticized Wendy Sherman, the State Department’s under secretary of state for political affairs, for inking a deal that they said leaves gaping “loopholes” on which Iran can capitalize.
“Why did you all not in this agreement in any way address the delivery mechanisms, the militarizing of nuclear arms, why was that left off since they [Iran] breached a threshold everyone acknowledges. They can build a bomb. We know that,” said Sen. Bob Corker, the committee’s ranking member.
“We are going to allow them over this next year to continue to perfect the other piece of this, which is the [nuclear] delivery mechanism,” Corker added. “Why did we do that?”
If Iran is awarded right to continue its enrichment, and continue its missile program, all it would have to do is ramp up uranium production “and now they’re a nuclear power,” Sen. Marco Rubio warned.
Sen. James Risch said he has been “disgusted” by the interim deal.
“I do not support what has been done,” he told Sherman. “I think this thing’s a disaster. I was stunned when I saw what the agreement was. I’ve been disgusted as we’ve gone forward.”