White House seeks support at home and abroad for Iran deal

WASHINGTON -- At home and abroad, the White House courted support for a landmark nuclear deal with Iran on Thursday as congressional leaders in both parties pointed toward a politically charged showdown this fall over Republican attempts to scuttle the agreement.

"It blows my mind that the administration would agree to lift the arms and missile bans and sanctions," said Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, referring to some of the provisions in the complex accord.

He said the Republican-controlled Congress likely would be on track soon to pass legislation denying President Barack Obama the ability to lift numerous financial and other restrictions Iran currently faces.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California became the first prominent Democrat in Congress to back the deal, saying she is "very optimistic about our ability to support the president."

Obama has pledged to veto any bill rejecting the agreement. Neither Pelosi nor Boehner ventured a prediction on the final outcome.

The maneuvering in Congress unfolded as secretary of state John Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, coming away without an immediate endorsement for the deal.

"We hope that the Iranians will use this deal in order to improve the economic situation in Iran and to improve the lot of the Iranian people and not use it for adventures in the region," the Saudi diplomat said. His country is Iran's main rival in the Middle East, and Kerry promised to respond if Tehran supports terrorism against its neighbors.

Kerry intends to brief Persian Gulf leaders early next month at a meeting in Qatar. Even before then, defense secretary Ash Carter leaves this weekend for the Mideast, with stops in Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Officials said his mandate is to reassure the Jewish state the U.S. is committed to guaranteeing its ally's regional military superiority.

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is an implacable opponent of the deal, saying it would put Iran on a path toward acquiring a nuclear weapon.