WASHINGON, March 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after 47 Republican senators sent an open letter to Iranian officials undercutting White House negotiations to limit development of Iran’s nuclear program:

“It appears that for most of my Republican colleagues in the Senate, a war in Afghanistan and a war in Iraq were not enough. They now apparently want a war in Iran as well. President Obama is working with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China to try to negotiate a peaceful means to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. These negotiations must be allowed to continue and, hopefully, will succeed. It is an outrage that my Republican colleagues are trying to sabotage that effort. ”