Blunt blasts Iran deal, McCaskill vows 'hard look'

WASHINGTON – Springfield-area Republicans said the Iran nuclear deal unveiled Tuesday would not stop that country from getting a nuclear weapon.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., was among the most critical, calling it a "dangerous step forward" that would give Iran a "free pass to cheat."

As Blunt and other opponents look for ways to block the deal, Sen. Claire McCaskill, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, emerged as a possible pivotal player in the unfolding debate.

McCaskill, D-Mo., said she would take a "hard look" at the 150-plus page agreement and urged others to reserve judgment and refrain from partisan attacks on a deal reached by the United States and five other countries after months of painstaking negotiations.

"Preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is paramount to our national security, and if this agreement accomplishes that goal, it will make the world a safer place for America and our allies," McCaskill said in a statement. "I plan to spend the coming weeks taking a hard look at the agreement's details to ensure that it will result in a verifiable way to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran."

Congress has 60 days to review the agreement, after which lawmakers can vote to approve it, disapprove it, or do nothing. President Barack Obama threatened to veto any bill aimed at derailing the deal, and it would be difficult for opponents to override the president — unless enough Democrats like McCaskill come out against it.

The deal will keep Iran from producing enough material for an atomic weapon for at least 10 years and impose provisions for inspections of Iranian facilities, including military sites. In exchange, the United States and its partners in the agreement — England, Germany, France, China, and Russia — will lift tough global sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

Blunt, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it did not include tough enough inspection provisions.

"By failing to provide for 'anytime anywhere' inspections, this deal gives Iran a free pass to cheat at its military sites with no access to U.S. inspectors," Blunt said. "In return, the president agreed to give Iran hundreds of millions of dollars in sanctions relief."

He said it "undermines the security of our friends and allies and legitimizes Iran's unapologetic sponsorship of terrorism throughout the Middle East."

Reps. Billy Long, R-Springfield, and Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, also expressed deep concerns about the deal but said they wanted to review the details.

"I am concerned this agreement will only temporarily halt Iran's ability to enrich weapons-grade uranium, while permanently lifting sanctions that have held Iran's nuclear capabilities at bay," Long said. "That only delays Iran's potential rather than ending it."

Hartlzer, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said the agreement relied on the "hope" that Iran would comply.

"This agreement does not stop Iran from being at the doorstep of nuclear capability," she said. "I am glad we have 60 days to review the deal and get the full picture, but the fact remains Iran is a designated sponsor of terrorism and should be verified much more than trusted."

In an interview, McCaskill said she would use two benchmarks to analyze the deal.

"My top line is, I don't trust Iran, so therefore I want to look at verification carefully," McCaskill said, referring to the mechanisms under which the international community will check Iran's compliance with provisions that limit its nuclear program.

"The other piece of this I want to look at carefully is the alternative: What happens if we don't do this?" McCaskill said. "Could we keep the sanctions in place?"

If Russia and China abandon the tough global economic restrictions now in place on Iran, McCaskill said, that will make sanctions ineffective.

"That means they get a nuclear bomb," McCaskill said. "So I'm going to look carefully at the deal and then I'm going to look carefully at the alternatives, and then I'm going to make a decision."

David Jackson of USA TODAY contributed to this story.

Contact Deirdre Shesgreen at dshesgreen@usatoday.com or @dshesgreen on Twitter.