VOA慢速英语：美国参议院领导人称伊朗核问题棘手

The United States has been one of six world powers taking part in the Iraniannuclear talks in Vienna. A top U.S. lawmaker says any deal resulting from thetalks will leave Iran as what he calls a ‘threshold nuclear state.’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the chief representative of theRepublican Party in the Senate. He also says it will be difficult to getcongressional approval for a nuclear deal with Iran. He says no deal is betterthan a bad agreement that would ‘legitimize’ the country’s government.

FILE - Senators Mitch McConnell (foreground) and Lindsey Graham approach a podium to speak to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington.

On Sunday, the Senate Majority Leader criticized President Barack Obamaand members of his negotiating team at the nuclear talks. Senator McConnelltold Fox News television that the Obama administration’s position is to reachany deal that Iran is willing to agree to. He says there was another possibility:supporting new measures aimed at punishing Iran for its nuclear activities.

"We could have ratcheted up the sanctions even further because that’s whatbrought them to the (negotiating) table in the first place. But the administrationchose to go down this path and we’re going to be interested in things like, will the Iranians reveal their past research and development, what have theydone in the past on this subject?"

The senator says U.S. lawmakers have concerns about Iran’s ability to launchballistic missiles. And he says they are worried about Iranian involvement inSyria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and Yemen.

Last May, Congress approved and President Obama signed into law the IranNuclear Deal Review Act. The measure gives lawmakers the power toapprove or reject a nuclear agreement. It gives Congress up to 60 days tostudy an agreement and bars the president from lifting any economic actionsduring that period. The president could sign the deal or veto it. Congresswould need a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to cancel aveto.

Appearing on a separate program Sunday, House Speaker John Boehner saidno deal with Iran is better than a bad deal:

"And from everything that’s leaked from these negotiations, the administrationhas backed away from almost all of the guidelines that they set out forthemselves, and I don’t want to see a bad deal."

He says measures against Iran should remain in effect until the country endsits efforts to get a nuclear weapon and stops being the world’s largest statesupporter of terrorism. He says a disagreement with Iran is better than, in hiswords, legitimizing a rogue regime.

Bob Corker is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He saysthe negotiations with Iran have been on what he calls a downward trend. Hethinks the talks have reached a point of no return. He questions what he seesas a decision by negotiators to suspend their efforts to break up Iran’s nuclearprogram. He says the negotiators are instead seeking to control Iran’s nuclearactivities.

The committee’s top Democrat, Bob Menendez, says the agreement takingshape in Vienna makes him anxious. He says the world seems to beprepared to cut back sanctions for the promise of verification, orconfirmation, of Iran’s actions. He notes this is far different from the earlierobjective of breaking down Iran’s nuclear infrastructure:

"We have to make very clear that there is a deterrence in the longer termbecause, if not, in 12, 13 years we’ll be exactly back to where we are todayexcept Iran will have $100 billion, $150-billion more in its pocket and promotingterrorism throughout the Middle East."

He says Iran must be made to understand that the U.S. cannot accept an Iranwith a nuclear weapon.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

VOA’s Victor Beattie reported on this story from Washington, DC. GeorgeGrow adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

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Words in This Story

threshold– n. the entrance to a room or building; the point or level at whichsomething begins or changes.

legitimize – v. to make legal or acceptable

sanction(s) – n. actions or measures designed to punish someone orsomething for disobeying rules

reveal– v. to show or make public

rogue regime – n. a government that carries out policies in unpredictableways

downward trend– n. movement to a lower level or position

anxious– adj. feeling nervous or uneasy about some future event