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Obama Gets Votes To Keep Iran Deal Intact

Obama Gets Votes To Keep Iran Deal Intact

President Barack Obama has secured the necessary votes to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive in Congress.

Senator Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat, became the crucial 34th vote on Wednesday when she announced her support for the deal.

Congress is to vote later this month on a resolution disapproving the controversial pact, which Republicans unanimously oppose.

Mr Obama has vowed to veto the resolution if it passes. Sen Mikulski's vote now gives the President the votes required to uphold that veto.

"No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated with the Iranian regime," Sen Mikulski said in a statement.

"I have concluded that this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb."

The Obama administration welcomed the growing support.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: "We are encouraged by the latest tally. When the stakes are this high, every vote is important."

The agreement - signed by Iran, the US and five other world powers - seeks to dismantle Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from sanctions.

The President has called the deal "the most consequential" US foreign policy decision since the Iraq war, and anyone opposing the agreement would effectively be backing war.

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Republicans have countered that the agreement makes too many concessions to Iran and could empower that country, which has sworn to destroy Israel.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged US lawmakers to oppose the deal, which he says is a threat to his country's survival.

Only two Senate Democrats - Chuck Schumer and Robert Menendez - have publicly come out against the deal.

A number of pro-Israel groups have spent millions of dollars on an advertising campaign to push members of Congress to vote no.

But that effort appears to have been in vain now that President Obama has secured the votes to keep it alive.

The US leader also has the support of the UN Security Council, which unanimously endorsed the nuclear agreement in July.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry said the deal ensures the "peaceful nature" of Iran's nuclear programme and will keep that country from developing a nuclear weapon.

He added that he and the President are "convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the framework we have put forward will get the job done".