Biden Condemns Republican Attempts to Undermine Iran Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Vice President Joe Biden warned the Republican party in a letter that scuttling a peaceful resolution of Iran nuclear program would be a “dangerous mistake.”

Biden’s statement issued on Monday came in response to a message of 47 Republican senators sent to Iran earlier the same day. The Republicans warned Tehran that any deal concerning Iran's nuclear program signed by US President Barack Obama and not submitted to Congress would be overturned by the next US administration.

“The current negotiations offer the best prospect in many years to address the serious threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It would be a dangerous mistake to scuttle a peaceful resolution, especially while diplomacy is still underway,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden pointed out to the authors of the letter that they offer no viable alternative to diplomatic resolution of the Iran nuclear issue. The vice president added that if the talks collapse, Tehran’s program might race forward again, which would undermine US credibility on the international arena.

“We would lack the international unity necessary just to enforce existing sanctions, let alone put in place new ones. Without diplomacy or increased pressure, the need to resort to military force becomes much more likely — at a time when our forces are already engaged in the fight against ISIL [the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant militant group],” the statement reads.

International negotiators and Tehran have for several years been working on guarantees for the peaceful nature of the Iran nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions. The sides have agreed to reach a long-term deal by July.