The unprecedented effort by Senate Republicans to sabotage ongoing US-Iran relations with a letter earlier this week, in which they openly warned Iran of their intentions to dishonor any agreements President Obama made, was a lighthearted jest, according to Republican aides.

“The administration has no sense of humor,” one aide complained, after reports that the letter was likely a felony offense, and could amount to treason.

Republican non-signatories to the letter are now saying it was a “bad idea,” while the signatories are trying to reframe it as a goof, apparently done as some sort of weird form of performance art.

Secretary of State John Kerry today reiterated that despite the letter, Congress doesn’t have a constitutional right to change diplomatic agreements that have already been signed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to be trying to claim credit for the letter, by contrast, suggesting his recent Congressional speech fueled the letter in defiance of diplomacy he opposes.