Democrats block Republican plan seeking Iran deal draft

Democratic representatives on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have blocked a plan by Republicans to try to access a draft of the Iran deal, according to a report by Jewish Insider.

The Republican plan would have required a full House vote this month if it had moved forward.

Committee Democrats, including those who have expressed concerns about the renegotiations of the Iran deal, voted to block the resolution, possibly a sign that even Democrats who have reservations about the deal still support the continuation of negotiations. 

According to the report, the measure, said Democratic Committee Chair Greg Meeks of New York, "risks directly damaging the administration's ability to successfully conduct negotiations, threatening to upset allies and allow[ing] for the premature leaking and manipulation of sensitive materials."

In response, ranking member Michael McCaul of Texas said, "I think we should have all documents. We have had classified briefings, and that's good. But we need all the documents, and we need to know what exactly is happening, and the American people deserve no less."

Indirect talks between the US and Iran to renegotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, scrapped under former President Donald Trump, have been ongoing since April. 

There have been recent indications that a renegotiated deal is nearing completion, but it is unclear when that would be.