Iranian nuclear deal increases polarisation in the US

US newspapers continue to report on the Congress’s handling of the Iranian nuclear deal after three Democrats announced their support for the agreement on Tuesday, increasing the number of Senate members who support the deal to 41.

The Washington Times and the Wall Street Journal said that US President Barack will be able to pass the agreement at Congress this month.

The Washington Post reported that the Congress had officially begun to deliberate on the deal on Tuesday “sure in the knowledge that the Iran nuclear deal would hold if by no other means than through President Obama’s veto of any congressional attempt to scuttle it”.

The paper reported that 15 state governors announced that they will not lift state sanctions on Iran. “These state-level sanctions are critically important and must be maintained,” the governors wrote in a letter to the president.

According to the governors, the deal with Iran isn’t deemed a treaty and therefore cannot override those state-level sanctions.

The newspaper pointed out that Republicans are interested in designating the agreement with Iran as a treaty which requires ratification by two-thirds of the Senate.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal described the Democrats and the White House attempt to avoid having a vote as a bad idea.

The paper said the White House shouldn’t use procedural manoeuvres to avoid a presidential veto, saying that if it becomes necessary, Obama should issue that veto unapologetically, with a message explaining his reasons in detail including a national address from the Oval Office.