As expected, Democrats have again rejected Republican efforts to stop Barack Obama’s nuclear accord with Iran in a repeat of a vote that took place last week and effectively paved the way for the president to implement the landmark deal.



Despite the defeat, Republicans, who are deeply opposed to the deal, have refused to end the debate on what the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, called “one of the most consequential foreign policy issues of our time”.

Last week Republicans fell two votes shy of reaching the necessary count, and were hopeful on Tuesday that two Democrats would change their votes under pressure from constituents opposed to the deal.

But Democrats did not waver, Republicans on Tuesday again failed to get the 60 votes needed to break the Democratic filibuster of a procedural vote. The vote, which was again preceded by several hours of debate in the Senate, signaled that the president can move forward with implementing the deal.

US House votes against Iran deal in symbolic vote. Link to video

The landmark accord was struck between the US, Iran and five world powers in July. It eases crippling sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program over several years.



Democrats handed a major victory to the president by scuttling the Republican attempt to block the accord. But critics called it an “ugly win” for Obama because the deal will go ahead despite a majority of House and Senate lawmakers voting against it.

The latest vote would not be the Senate’s last word on the matter, McConnell promised on Tuesday.

In retaliation for the Democrats’ blockade, McConnell said on Tuesday evening that he would put forward an amendment requiring Iran to recognize Israel’s right to exist and free all US hostages held in the country before economic sanctions can be lifted.

McConnell said Democrats should be forced to vote on these issues so their constituents understood the gravity of their votes in favor of the deal.

“Democrats seem to think they can end the discussion … then turn around and pretend they care deeply about Israel and human rights,” McConnell said. “Well, if they vote again to deny the American people a final vote, they’ll have a chance to test the theory.”

The Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, called McConnell’s latest manoeuvre a “charade” and urged the Senate leader to focus instead on averting a looming government shutdown.

“The Republicans have lost,” Reid said. “They lost this measure. And we should move on to something else.”