Senators from both parties are pressing the Donald Trump administration to submit any future agreement with Iran, and any provisions addressing Tehran’s nuclear program, for congressional review.
Lawmakers returned to Washington this week seeking details about a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran that Trump said would help end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But key provisions — including those involving Iran’s nuclear activities — remain unclear.
“Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on social media Sunday. “I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President [JD] Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress,” Graham added.
Graham is referring to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act (INARA), which Congress passed in 2015, which ensured lawmakers would have input in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of that same year. The law would similarly apply to this current deal.
Under INARA, the deal must be submitted to Congress within five days of the parties reaching it, and Congress would then have 30 days to either approve or reject.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) concurred, saying in a statement Monday that “Trump must release the details publicly, brief Congress immediately and end this war for good.”
The most recent memorandum, which has been described as a broad framework rather than a final accord, leaves major technical issues to future negotiations. That lack of specificity has fueled calls for congressional oversight.
Questions remain about whether Iran would be required to reduce or eliminate its stockpile of enriched uranium, what verification measures would be imposed and how compliance would be monitored. Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and enriched uranium inventories are expected to continue during a 60-day ceasefire period, according to Iranian media.
A recent analysis on LinkedIn by Gabe Arrington, a fellow at Houston, Texas-based think tank Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, highlighted an unannounced visit by President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, arguing the trip signals that the United States is beginning to address the technical challenges associated with any future nuclear agreement with Iran.
According to Arrington, the officials consulted experts in uranium processing, centrifuge technology and highly enriched uranium handling as policymakers consider options for recovering, disposing of or monitoring Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium.