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Several Republican senators said Thursday that they didn't anticipate such an intense backlash to the open letter that Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent to Iranian leaders on Monday.

Those who signed have not backed down from their decisions to do so.

"The letter has been a surprising controversy that came up," said Sen. Mark Kirk (Ill.), a moderate Republican up for reelection in 2016, who signed the letter.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who also signed on, called the negative response "a significant overreaction" to "a number of senators expressing their view of something that's a fact, that Congress, the Senate, needs to be involved."

Forty-six fellow Republicans signed Cotton's letter, which was designed to derail a potential nuclear deal with Iran. The letter warned Iranian leaders that any lasting deal must get the input of Congress, not just President Obama.

No Democrats signed the letter. Obama has criticized it, and so have many other Democrats.

"I'm opposed to Iran having a nuclear weapon. So I'll do everything I can to keep that from happening, and that was one of the steps," said Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), another signatory.

Asked whether he was surprised at the backlash, Heller responded: "The liberal backlash? No."

But it's not just the left that has denounced the strategy. The Wall Street Journal editorial board took issue with it. And Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) reportedly expressed reservations.

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who signed the letter.

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Some Republican senators surprised by backlash to Iran letter