GOP Senators Send Letter to Iran to Disrupt Nuclear Talks

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A group of 47 Republican senators has released an open letter to Iran in a bid to disrupt the Obama administration's attempts at a nuclear deal. The letter was spearheaded by Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton and signed by a number of potential 2016 presidential hopefuls, including senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul. "We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei," it reads in part.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, dismissed the letter as "mostly a propaganda ploy," calling the tactics "unprecedented in diplomatic history." President Obama criticized the Republicans for aligning themselves with hardline critics of the nuclear talks in Iran.

"I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with the hardliners in Iran," Obama said. "It's an unusual coalition. I think what we're going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get a deal or not. And once we do, then we'll -- if we do, then we'll be able to make the case to the American people, and I'm confident we'll be able to implement it."

Secretary of State John Kerry returns to Switzerland Sunday in a bid to reach a nuclear deal before a March 31 deadline.

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Photo Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque