With negotiators from Iran and six world powers locked down in Vienna, almost continuously trying to meet the June 30 deadline for a final Iran nuclear deal, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has started holding a series of classified briefings and open hearings to prepare members to evaluate a prospective deal next month.
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, freshly back from US-Iran bilateral meetings in Geneva last weekend, after which US Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg, briefed members of the committee this week of June 2. He was joined by directors of US nuclear laboratories that have been involved with evaluating the technical specifications for a final Iran deal.
“As negotiators from the P5+1 nations [permanent five members of the UN Security Council plus Germany] and Iran attempt to meet a June 30 deadline for a final agreement, the committee is holding a series of briefings and hearings this month to prepare members for congressional review of a final deal if one is reached,” a Republican Senate Foreign Relations committee aide, speaking not for attribution, said June 5.
The June 2 briefing “with the secretary of energy and the directors of US nuclear laboratories was arranged to help members understand in more detail the technical aspects of Iran’s nuclear program,” the Republican committee aide said. “Additional briefings and hearings on other elements of a deal are expected later in the month.”
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