ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP/WMOT) — Secretary of State John Kerry says that the major powers were unified on an Iran nuclear deal during weekend talks in Geneva but the Iranians were unable to accept it.
Earlier reports said France refused to accept the deal.
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, the ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared on the weekend news program Meet the Press to talk about the Iran negotiations.
Corker expressed Republican fears that the Obama administration's slow, stepped approach toward winding down the standoff gives Iran the advantage.
“Congress, that put these sanctions in place, with the Administration kicking and screaming all the way – pushing back against these sanctions – are very concerned that we’re going to deal away the leverage that we have where we finally have Iran willing to sit down and talk about these issues."
Corker said past experience negotiating with North Korea shows the stepped process gives away too much too soon, and that an all-or-nothing deal might be the better choice.
Iranian state TV is reporting today that after meeting with the U.N. nuclear chief, Tehran is agreeing to expand monitoring of its atomic program.