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U.S. President Barack Obama is set to brief Senate leadership Tuesday on the ongoing talks with Iran as his administration is seeking to suspend sanctions against the Islamic republic to allow for more diplomacy, the White House said Monday.
The president, who is advocating a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Iran over its controversial nuclear program, will meet at the White House with Senate leadership as well as heads and ranking members of the committees on banking, foreign relations, armed services and intelligence.
Obama will "provide an update on the status of the P5+1 negotiations with Iran before the next round of talks begin later this week in Geneva," spokesman Jay Carney said at a regular news briefing. The P5+1 refers to Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany.
"When it comes to our position on additional sanctions, I'm sure that this will be a topic because it's the president's view that it's the right thing for Congress to do to pause so that we can test whether or not the Iranians are serious about resolving this issue diplomatically," said Carney.
Some senators are mulling tougher sanctions against Iran as the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in late July to impose punitive new sanctions on the country with a view to ending all Iranian oil exports by 2015.
Obama and his top aides have argued against fresh sanctions, saying the option will lead to war with "unintended consequences." Both Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry went to Capitol Hill last week to lobby for delayed sanctions.
Iran and the P5+1 will resume negotiations on Nov. 20 in Geneva, Switzerland, after intensive talks there on Nov. 7-9 failed to produce a deal. American and Russian officials are upbeat about a breakthrough.
Israel and some U.S. lawmakers have opposed the idea of eased sanctions in exchange for Iran's limiting of its nuclear activities, as floated by the P5+1 as the first step to a comprehensive deal, saying the major countries are giving too much for too little.
Carney rejected reports of 40 billion to 50 billion dollars in relief suggested for Iran, saying "Those reports are significantly exaggerated."
"It is important to recognize, as we've talked about, that the relief that would accompany an agreement for this first phase would be a modest and it would be eminently reversible," he said. "It's the kind of relief that ensures that even as it's provided, the other sanctions remain in place and continue to have an effect. "
