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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama could be facing new pressure from members of Congress who want to move forward with new legislation imposing sanctions on Iran.
Lawmakers had agreed to hold off on that through the end of this month while negotiations continued. But now those talks are wrapping up, with mixed results. Iran and six world powers are preparing to issue a general statement agreeing only to resume talking.
Obama has warned that passing new sanctions during the talks could disrupt the sensitive discussions.
The White House says any deal will stretch the time Iran needs to make a nuclear weapon from the present two to three months to at least a year. But critics object that it would keep Tehran's nuclear technology intact.
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021-c-20-(Mark Smith, AP White House correspondent)-"sanctions in place"-AP White House Correspondent Mark Smith reports the administration insists a good compromise with Iran will be far better than the alternatives. (31 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *021 (03/31/15)££ 00:20 "sanctions in place"
020-c-22-(Mark Smith, AP White House correspondent)-"to a weapon"-AP White House Correspondent Mark Smith reports any deal will be hugely controversial. (31 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *020 (03/31/15)££ 00:22 "to a weapon"
APPHOTO TOK302: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second left, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, left, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, center, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, second right, and German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier wait for the start of a meeting on Iran's nuclear program with other officials from France, China, the European Union and Iran at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Diplomats scrambled Tuesday to reach consensus on the outline of an Iran nuclear deal just hours ahead of a self-imposed deadline to produce an agreement. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool) (31 Mar 2015)
<<APPHOTO TOK302 (03/31/15)££
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