AFP, Washington :
Barack Obama pilloried Republicans over an incendiary letter to Iran’s leaders that warned a nuclear deal with the United States could be scrapped by the next president.
Forty-seven Senate Republicans-including several potential 2016 presidential candidates-made the unprecedented move of directly and publicly addressing leaders of the Islamic Republic in a bid to scupper the sensitive talks.
“It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system,” the letter said.
Republicans warned any deal agreed before Obama leaves office in 2017 is “nothing more than an executive agreement between President Barack Obama and (supreme leader) Ayatollah Khamenei.”
“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time,” they added.
Obama reacted by saying he would make his case to voters.
“I think it is somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with hardliners in Iran,” Obama said. “It is an unusual coalition.”
“What we are going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get a deal,” added Obama.
