Key senator announces support for Iran nuclear deal

Reuters
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, listens to remarks during hearings on "Corruption, Global Magnitsky and Modern Slavery - A Review of Human Rights Around the World", on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Theiler

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a co-author of the bill allowing Congress to review the nuclear deal with Iran, said on Tuesday he would support the nuclear agreement. The agreement announced on July 14 between world powers and Tehran "is a dramatic improvement over the status quo in improving global security," Kaine said in a Senate speech announcing he would back it. Under the review bill, Congress has until Sept. 17 to accept or reject the nuclear pact. With most Republicans already opposed, support from Democrats like Kaine who strongly backed Congress' demand to review the agreement will be essential to the administration's hopes that it will survive the process. (This version of the story corrects first paragraph to show he will support nuclear agreement) (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Doina Chiacu)