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 The appeal was made as Iran and six major powers, including the
United States, approach a deadline in talks in Vienna aimed at a
deal in which Iran would curb its nuclear program in exchange for
gradual relief from crippling economic sanctions.
Democrat Robert Menendez and Republican Lindsey Graham, who believe
President Barack Obama's administration should not act without
Congressional backing, distributed a letter among senators saying
they want Iran to "come clean" about any military dimensions of its
nuclear program.
They accused Tehran of a "history of deception in its nuclear
program," and said they feared long-term U.S. concerns would not be
addressed in any agreement. Rather, a deal ending U.S. sanctions may
"provide Iran a window for economic recovery whereafter it could
resume its nuclear program," they said.
 It was unclear how much support the letter, a copy of which was
obtained by Reuters on Monday, would attract among the 100 senators.
Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, and
Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also called
for immediate resumption of sanctions if Iran did not keep its
commitments.
The letter sought signatures by Wednesday, four days before the July
20 deadline for an agreement
With both sides complaining of scant progress, U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
in Vienna on Monday for a second day to push for "critical choices"
on Tehran's nuclear program.
Some activists who advocate an agreement criticized the letter as an
attempt by hawkish lawmakers to derail the talks.
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"The Senate should be careful not to unnecessarily complicate the
process at this critical stage. Otherwise they may be the ones who
get the blame for the consequences," said Daryl Kimball, executive
director of the Arms Control Association.
The Senate's Democratic leaders early this year blocked a bill from
Menendez and Republican Mark Kirk that would have cut Iran's oil
exports to almost zero and reduced Obama's power to waive sanctions
if Tehran violated an interim deal.
Lawmakers and congressional aides told Reuters last week they
expected Senate leaders would step in again if hawkish lawmakers
attempted to pass legislation deemed detrimental to the talks.
Adam Sharon, a spokesman for Menendez, said the letter was not an
attempt to derail the talks.
"There is a role for Congress to play, and it's a role Congress has
played for about a decade," he said, noting that U.S. lawmakers had
pushed for the current sanctions regime, which helped bring Iran to
the negotiating table.
He would not say how many lawmakers had signed the letter, which was
first distributed to senators on Friday.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by David Storey and Lisa
Shumaker)
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