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White House fears Iran deal will hurt Democrats – here’s why

Israeli official warns Biden administration will be better poised to restore nuclear deal after November elections.

By World Israel News Staff

The Biden administration and senior Democratic lawmakers are concerned a new nuclear deal with Iran could hurt the party in this November’s midterm elections, dooming Democrats’ already slim chances of retaining control of Congress, an Israeli official said.

According to a report by Israel Hayom which cited an “Israeli political official”, the Biden administration is currently downplaying the prospects of a breakthrough in talks with Iran.

The official claimed the White House and some Democratic senators fear that if the U.S. signs onto a new deal with Tehran before the midterm elections, the party will face a heavy backlash from voters.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, a strong supporter of the Iran nuclear deal, told Democratic senators who expressed concerns over the possibility of a new agreement that current talks may not lead to a breakthrough in the immediate future.

Once the midterms are over, the official said, the White House will be better positioned to make a final push towards an agreement with Tehran, adding that regardless of the outcome of November’s elections, Republicans will likely be unable to block the restoration of the deal.

Polls currently show Republicans will likely retake control of the House of Representatives, and are slightly favored to take control of the Senate.

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Even if Republicans take both chambers of Congress, however, President Biden will be able to veto any bill disapproving of the deal. A veto override would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress. Republicans are unlikely to find sufficient support to back such an override, the Israeli official said.

President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. officials reportedly told Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid that a new nuclear deal with Iran is “off the table” for the time being.

The report came a day after Prime Minister Lapid hinted that Israel may have succeeded in scuttling the nuclear deal.

“It is still too early to know if we have indeed succeeded in stopping the nuclear agreement, but Israel is prepared for every threat and every scenario,” Lapid said last week.