Iran deal: White House picks ambassador Stephen Mull to oversee Iran deal

The Obama administration is planning to name Stephen Mull, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Poland, as lead coordinator for implementing the Iran nuclear deal — a massive task that could be highly scrutinized in light of partisan wrangling over the agreement.

 

An administration official said Mull, who joined the foreign service in 1982, is the State Department pick, though the choice is not yet official.

 

Mull’s appointment could both please and disappoint close observers of the process: The fact that there will be a lead coordinator — administration officials refuse to call it a “czar” — is something many advocates of the deal support, but Mull may not be as well-known a figure as some had hoped.

 

Congress is still reviewing the deal with the Islamist-led government in Tehran, and is expected to vote against it next month. However, the administration is confident that opponents don’t have the votes needed to override a presidential veto, so the State Department is going ahead with long-term planning for implementing the complex deal, which requires that Iran curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

 

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