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Sen. Bob Corker ‘very happy’ Iran nuclear deadline missed

United States Senator Bob Corker

United States Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Thursday he was happy that the Obama administration had chosen to miss its self-imposed deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran instead of signing off on the deal with shortcomings.

“I’m very happy that we’re not rushing to a place and taking shortcuts on the remaining issues that are left. That is to me a very good thing,” Republican Senator Bob Corker told reporters in Washington.

Corker spoke just after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced in Vienna that the talks were continuing, an indication that negotiators would miss the midnight (0400 GMT Friday) deadline to submit a final deal to Congress and begin a 30-day period in which lawmakers can vote on it.

The review period has extended to 60 days now that the deadline has been missed.

Corker said lawmakers had not yet decided how they would respond to an agreement, if there is one.

“We want to read the agreement,” Corker said, but he added lawmakers had begun talks about the path forward.

“We are trying to work through all the machinations, not knowing exactly when it comes,” he said.

Corker wrote the Iran Nuclear Review Act of 2015, which gives Congress the right to review a nuclear agreement with Tehran. Under the law, Congress can try to pass a resolution of disapproval, which would take away President Barack Obama’s right to temporarily waive many sanctions imposed on the Iranian regime.

The P5+1 – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S. – have been negotiating with the Iranian regime to reach a long-term deal under which Tehran would its curb nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.