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Iran’s foreign minister denounced America as “untrustworthy” on Tuesday after a letter from 47 Republican senators cast new doubt over the chances of settling the confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, warned that the letter “could become a spanner in the works” of the negotiations, due to resume on Monday, with an “unpredictable effect on opinion” inside Iran.

The US senators sent an unprecedented “open letter” to the “leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, warning that a future US president might “revoke” any agreement on the country’s nuclear programme “with the stroke of a pen”.

Without being ratified by the Senate, any such accord would be an “executive agreement” and not a formal treaty, said the letter.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, is expected to join another round of talks in Brussels on Monday. He has previously said that Iran and America are “very close” to a deal that would resolve the confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

But the message from the senators led the minister to question whether America was a worthwhile negotiating partner. “In this letter, which is an undiplomatic work, we are told that the United States is untrustworthy,” said Mr Zarif. “This kind of communication is unprecedented.”

He was speaking before the assembly of experts, the most senior official body in Iran, responsible for overseeing the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and every minister.

This 73-member assembly is dominated by hardliners who are deeply suspicious of any agreement with America that would constrain Iran’s nuclear programme. The fact that Mr Zarif briefed them on the progress of the talks was evidence of their concern. The letter might increase Iran’s suspicion that Congress or a future US president might walk away from a nuclear deal and refuse to lift economic sanctions.

In Washington, President Barack Obama accused Republican senators of joining hands with Iran’s hardliners to scupper the chances of a nuclear agreement.

It was “ironic” to see members of Congress making “common cause with the hardliners in Iran,” said Mr Obama. “It’s an unusual coalition. I think what we’re going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get a deal or not. And once we do – if we do – then we’ll be able to make the case to the American people, and I’m confident we’ll be able to implement it.”

Experts point out that the letter misconstrued a central principle of international law, namely that governments are bound by any agreements signed by their predecessors, whether or not these take the form of treaties……..http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/11462598/Iran-condemns-untrustworthy-America-as-Senate-letter-casts-doubt-over-nuclear-deal.html