A Republican attempt to advance a resolution against the Iran nuclear agreement failed in the Senate on Thursday.

A motion to end a Democrat-led filibuster on a resolution to disapprove the agreement fell two votes shy of the 60 required votes.  The vote was 58-42.

Congress has a September 17 deadline to pass a disapproval resolution before the Iran nuclear deal takes effect.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said today's vote paves the way for the agreement to move ahead.

"The Senate has spoken with a clarion voice and declared that the historic agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon will stand," he said in a statement.

"Our fellow Americans, allies and negotiating partners around the world should know that today's outcome was clear, decisive and final: there is now no doubt whatsoever that the United States Congress will allow this historic agreement to proceed. Efforts by opponents to derail this agreement were soundly rejected by a margin much larger than anyone thought achievable as recently as a few days ago," the senator added. "Any future attempts to re-litigate this issue in the Senate will meet the same outcome and will be nothing more than wasted time - time we cannot afford to waste with a government shutdown looming in a matter of weeks."

In a statement, Obama said Thursday's Senate vote was a "victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world."

"I am heartened that so many senators judged this deal on the merits, and am gratified by the strong support of lawmakers and citizens alike," he added.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio,8) said Republican leaders could try to thwart the agreement with legal action, adding that they would take advantage of "every tool at our disposal to stop, slow and delay this agreement from being fully implemented."