US President Barak Obama has once again warned Congress against imposing new sanctions against Iran.
US President Barak Obama has once again warned Congress against imposing new sanctions against Iran.
"My preference is for peace and diplomacy and this is one of the reasons why I've sent a message to Congress that now is not the time for us to impose new sanctions,” Obama said during a meeting with Spanish Prime Min
ister Mariano Rajoy in the White House on Monday.
"Now is the time for us to allow the diplomats and technical experts to do their work," he added.
The US president on Sunday threatened that he would veto any legislation the Congress pushes for further sanctions.
So far, 59 senators have supported the bill that would impose more sanctions on Tehran if an interim nuclear deal recently reached in Geneva between Iran and the world powers fails.
The Senate bill was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Senator Mark Kirk last month.
It proposes boycotting Iranian oil exports and the blacklisting of Iran's mining, engineering and construction industries. It also calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Iran insists it will never negotiate under threats and pressure and if the US Congress passes any new sanctions against the country, the Geneva agreement will be dead.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Sayyed Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is not ready to hold talks under pressure.
“If the US congress wants to pressure us on new pretexts, we'd say with certainty that we won’t negotiate under pressure at all, and if new sanctions are imposed, the Geneva deal would be canceled,” Araqchi said.
