Dem asks European allies to stay united in enforcing Iran deal

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is reaching out to America’s European allies to press for unity in enforcing the nuclear deal with Iran.

The New Hampshire Democrat sent a letter to ambassadors from Germany, France and Great Britain, which were all involved in the international talks with Iran, asking them to stand together with the U.S. as the pact goes into effect.

{mosads}“[R]esponding to potential Iranian violations will require our continued cooperation, particularly regarding possible small-scale incidents of Iranian non-compliance,” she wrote to the three ambassadors. “I look forward to the joint efforts of our two governments to develop a common approach to this challenge.”

Shaheen’s letter comes after the 60-day window for Congress to review the nuclear pact closed last week, opening the door to the next stage of the deal’s implementation. Despite the efforts of many lawmakers on Capitol Hill, critics of the deal were not able to pass legislation disapproving of the agreement.

The agreement sets restrictions on Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on its oil and financial sectors.

In coming weeks, countries around the globe will be preparing draft language to lift those sanctions. Once Iran takes a number of steps to wind down its program — likely not until next year — they will begin to roll back.

If Iran breaks its commitments, the agreement sets in place a mechanism for the countries to “snap” their sanctions back into place.

“[A] unified response to any Iranian violation is the best way to ensure the long-term success of this agreement,” Shaheen told the ambassadors in her letter.

In closing, she urged the diplomats to keep up the joint pressure on Iran’s violations of human rights and broader meddling in the region, including its support of the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad. Though the nuclear pact does not touch on those issues, U.S. officials have been keen to ensure that the globe does not let up its pressure.

In addition to the U.S. and the three European nations, China and Russia were also involved in the negotiations with Iran.