Obama admin: Visa waiver changes could hurt Iran nuclear deal

Congress sought to change a program that allowed citizens of many European nations to enter the U.S. without a visa amid concerns of foreign fighters from the West sympathizing with the Islamic State. Under the changes in the omnibus, which appears poised to pass the Senate, Europeans who had visited terrorist hotbeds like Iraq and Syria would have to get a visa before coming to the U.S.

Since Iran is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S., it was also included on the list.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on implementing the Iran deal if this provision could negate the nuclear deal since it could discourage Europeans from traveling to Iran.

“There has been a suggestion that there is a piece of the agreement that obligates us not to take steps that would stop economic relations between other countries and Iran [and] that we could perhaps be in jeopardy of breaching the agreement,” Murphy said. “Have the Europeans raised concerns to you or have others raised concerns to you about that specific provision?”

Stephen Mull, the lead coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation at the State Department, said he has heard from “very senior” European officials that “it could have a very negative impact on the deal.”

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. and chairman of the committee, said “technicalities” like this one were not considered thoroughly because of how the omnibus came together, and that they will be looked at “down the road.”

While the visa waiver program is not under the jurisdiction of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ranking Member Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said he hoped the committee would look at the piece of it that touches the Iran deal in early 2016.

“I hope we have an opportunity early next year as a committee to take a look at this from the view of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” Cardin said.