Picking up on this thread is really too easy, in view of Representative Ryan’s remark that experts are unnecessary when it comes to solving problems in the government domain. Some of his colleagues seem to have taken him at his word, according to AL Monitor:
Three American congressmen, all staunchly opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, have been denied their bid to visit Tehran to inspect the country’s nuclear sites, a job that is typically reserved for individuals with expertise in the area. …
Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded to the request June 7 with an open letter. The letter called the congressmen’s request a “publicity stunt” and said, “Bearn [sic] in mind that as members of the US Congress you are not a global authority.”
The article is actually a study in quiet snark, with a final paragraph of this:
The last time an American official sent a public letter to Iran was in March, when Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., warned Iranian officials that any nuclear deal with President Barack Obama could be modified by a future American president. The letter, which was signed by 46 other Senate Republicans, was tweeted to Zarif both in English and Persian. Zarif tweeted back to Cotton with his own letter, saying that Cotton had difficulty understanding his own constitution as it pertains to presidential powers.
Looks like the GOP ran into centuries of Iranian politics and were bounced on their backsides.
