Congress hindering US deal with Iran

American analyst Dr. E. Michael Jones says the US Congress under the Israeli influence is trying to stop President Barack Obama from reaching a deal with Iran over its nuclear program.

Jones made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Monday when asked about a report showing that Obama will do “everything in his power” to avoid a vote in Congress on any nuclear accord with Iran.

Jones said that there are currently two Israel lobbies that control Congress members.

“Congress is controlled by the Israel lobby, that being said there are now two Israel lobbies in the United States, there is AIPAC… and there is J Street and J Street is the more liberal leftwing Jewish Israel lobby and they are supporting the Obama administration,” he said.

“The American officials are puppets of the Zionist lobby,” he said, adding that “what you are seeing here is the Congress firmly in the hands of the Israel lobby trying its last gasp attempt to stop the Obama administration from concluding a successful nuclear deal with Iran.”

Iran and the P5+1 group — Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – are negotiating to narrow their differences over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program ahead of a November 24 deadline.

A senior US official told the New York Times that “we wouldn’t seek congressional legislation in any comprehensive agreement for years.”

Meanwhile, President Obama needs congressional approval before being able to permanently terminate sanctions imposed against Iran, something Tehran insists should happen as part of any comprehensive deal.

Top US negotiators suggested a step-by-step suspension of sanctions so that Obama could turn them back if necessary.

Many lawmakers view that plan as an effort by the White House to bypass the US Congress.

“Congress will not permit the president to unilaterally unravel Iran sanctions that passed the Senate in a 99 to 0 vote,” said Senator Mark Kirk, a leading Republican critic of the nuclear talks.

AT/AGB