The Obama administration stymied multiple FBI arrest operations against individuals on US soil linked to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs – including “known terrorists” – in order to further negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal, two Republican senators said Wednesday.

The startling allegations were made to Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) via legally protected whistleblower disclosures.

The senators on Wednesday presented unclassified internal FBI emails obtained from the whistleblowers to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland showing the “obstruction” effort in a letter which also demanded more records related to the Obama administration’s nuclear deal negotiations.

“The records provided to our offices show that the Obama/Biden administration’s State Department, under the leadership of John Kerry, actively and persistently interfered with FBI operations pertaining to lawful arrests of known terrorists, members of Iranian proliferation networks, and other criminals providing material support for Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” the senators wrote in their missives.