Top Democrat opposes Iran deal

Influential New York Senator Chuck Schumer has announced that he is breaking with President Barack Obama to become the first Senate Democrat to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

"After deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval," said Schumer, a leading Jewish lawmaker, in a statement late Thursday night, weeks before he will cast a vote.

The pact, struck on July 1 by the United States, Iran and five other world powers, would curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.

Schumer's decision is a blow to the Obama administration, though it remains to be seen how many other Democratic lawmakers follow the New York senator.

The announcement from Schumer came as another influential politician, US Representative Eliot Engel and the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, also said on Thursday he would also oppose the nuclear pact.

The opposition followed just hours after two fellow Democrat senators from Obama's party - New York's Kirsten Gillibrand and New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen - declared their support for the international accord.

Schumer's move at odds with Democratic candidate Clinton

Schumer's split with Obama is remarkable for a senior leader, the number three Democrat in the Senate and next in line to replace Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid when he retires in early 2017.

The senator's decision also puts him at odds with Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has cautiously embraced the deal and is currently running to be the Democrats' nominee for the 2016 presidential election.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing US lawmakers to oppose the nuclear agreement, which he considers a threat to his country's survival.

Some pro-Israeli groups in the United States have also been spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to push members of Congress to vote no.

Iran deal opponents still face uphill battle

Obama has been engaged in his own lobbying effort, including a combative speech on Wednesday in which he said abandoning the agreement would open up the prospect of war.

The US Congress has until September 17 to consider a resolution of disapproval of the Iran deal, which would eliminate Obama's ability to waive all sanctions on Iran imposed by Congress, a key component of the agreement.

Lawmakers will begin debating whether to reject the deal when they return from their August recess on September 8.

Obama has promised a veto if the resolution is passed by the House and Senate.

Although Thursday's announcements are a blow to the president, opponents of the deal would therefore still face an uphill battle to enact a disapproval resolution.

Republicans would need at least 13 Democrats in the Senate and 44 in the House to vote against Obama to muster the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto.

mh/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)