The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has submitted the recently negotiated Iranian nuclear deal to the U.S. Congress for its review.
The State Department reported on July 19 that the agreement, signed in Vienna on July 14 between Iran and representatives of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, has been submitted and the U.S. legislature's 60-day review period will begin as of July 20.
Also on July 19, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Congress to reject the agreement. Speaking on U.S. television, Netanyahu said "there are many things to be done to stop Iran's aggression, and this deal is not one of them."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to the CNN TV news network on July 19, said that "if Congress were to kill this [deal]," the process of negotiating with Iran would be finished.
"I assure you, if the United States arbitrarily and unilaterally kills this, you…are not going to have another negotiation -- and they [Iran] will feel free to go do the very things this [deal] prevents."
Kerry emphasized that the deal increases the amount of time it would take Iran to develop nuclear weapons from "two months'" to "one year." He also said the inspections envisioned by the accord are "unprecedented."
Under the agreement, Iran will scale back its nuclear program and allow international inspections in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against the country. Tehran denies it is seeking to build nuclear arms.
On July 18, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country's opposition to the "arrogant" United States "will not change," despite the nuclear deal.
"The oppressed Palestinian nation, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, the honest resistance fighters in Lebanon and Palestine will enjoy our constant support," he said.