Schiff: Final Iran deal will be ‘tough’ to achieve

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says he’s concerned about additional rounds of sanctions against Iran, but predicts it will be “awfully tough” to achieve a final deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“I’m concerned about the talk of additional rounds of sanctions right now,” Schiff said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Jansing & Co.” “The Congress really needs to be working in concert with the president on this as one of the preeminent national security challenges of the day. We don’t do well in negotiations if we are internally divided.” 

{mosads}A number of Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill don’t support the deal’s terms. Many claim it does little to stop the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program. Lawmakers are considering a measure that would renew sanctions and strengthen them.  

Those critics are also skeptical about whether Iran can be trusted.

Schiff, a senior member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, agrees.

“I agree that they can’t be trusted,” he said. “No one is asking for a blind trust or any trust, really, in Iranians. That’s part of why the agreement includes daily inspections of these nuclear facilities — something that we’ve never had.”

While Schiff calls the deal struck by the P5+1 and Iran on Sunday “pretty good,” he is wary a final deal can be achieved six months from now.

“It’s going to be awfully tough to get that final agreement six months from now. We need to be realistic about that.”