Obama rallying support for JCPOA; Israeli envoy meeting senators to kill it

US President Barack Obama has been making private calls to Democratic senators in an effort to rally support for a nuclear agreement with Iran, set to be reviewed by the Republican-weighted Congress.

Obama has been making the calls from Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation, a White House official told The New York Times on condition of anonymity on Monday.

“If you support the deal, we’d like you to make that clear,” the president tells the lawmakers, according to the official. “And if you still have concerns, we want to be able to answer those questions.”

The official further referred to the White House’s support for the so-called “validators” of the agreement, prominent foreign policy and national security figures that describe the advantages of the accord.

“There’s been a steady drumbeat of people outside the day-to-day politics making the case with us, and that is by design,” the official said. “We’ve been working with all the outside groups on this.”

Pro-Israelis killing JCPOA

Meanwhile, attempts are underway by opponents of the agreement to push Democrats to vote against the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached in Vienna in mid-July.

Among the key opponents, is American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which fights against an agreement with Tehran in line with policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to an Israeli official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, has been holding meetings with US senators to kill the accord.

“The ambassador has met with more than 60 senators and congressmen in the last month,” said the official. “He’s speaking to everybody — particularly Democrats, who ultimately will decide this issue. He wants to make sure that they hear Israel’s views directly.”

Obama needs the Democrat senators’ support so that his veto power is not overridden after a possible rejection of the accord by the House of Representatives.

With a Republican majority, the pro-Israel US Congress has been taking steps to hamper the agreement with Iran against the backdrop of a row with the Democratic White House.

The Republican Party members, including the 2016 presidential hopefuls, have criticized the outcome of talks with Iran.

Jeb Bush has called it a "terrible deal" while Marco Rubio labeled it "a dangerous and destabilizing failure."

Rick Perry has also pledged to kill the agreement as "one of my first official acts" as president.

After months of tough negotiations, Iran and the P5+1 – the US, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany –  finally succeeded in finalizing the text of the JCPOA in Vienna on July 14.

Under the agreement, restrictions will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.