29 Mar 2024
Saturday 17 January 2015 - 15:56
Story Code : 145834

Obama promises to veto Iran sanctions to avoid war

US President Barack Obama said that he is to veto new sanctions against Iran and asked Congress for more time to solve the nuclear crisis without going to war.


WASHINGTON, January 17 (Sputnik) US PresidentBarack Obamapromised toveto new sanctions againstIran and asked Congress formore time tosolve the nuclear crisis withoutgoing towar, according tohis speech atthe White House onFriday.

I will veto a bill that comes tomy desk, Obama said when asked how he would handle legislation toapply sanctions againstIran forpursuing nuclear weapons. I respectfully request them [Congress] tohold offfor a few months tosee if we have the possibility ofsolving a big problem withoutresorting potentially towar.

Congress needs tobe more patient, the President stressed, because sanctions will only undermine a deal that could peacefully halt Irans nuclear development program.
Im asking Congress tohold offbecause our negotiators, our partners, those who are most intimately involved inthis, assess that it [more sanctions] will jeopardize the possibility ofproviding a diplomatic solution toone ofthe most difficult and long-lasting national security problems that weve faced ina very long time, Obama added.
Obama rejected the notion that the United States was onan immediate war footing withIran should the current roundof negotiations fail. Nobody doubts, including Iran, the ability ofthe United States togarner support toapply more sanctions should a deal fall apart, the president added.

US Secretary ofState John Kerry and Iranian Minister ofForeign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif met inParis this week and have been trying tomake progress towardsa nuclear deal. The next roundof P5+1 talks betweenIran and world powers are due tostart onSunday.

The P5+1 group ofsix world powers, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany, initiated diplomatic efforts back in2006 toensure Irans nuclear program remained focused onpeaceful applications only. Since then, the group has held several meetings withIran, butthe sides failed toreach a compromise.

The latest roundof talks betweenIran and the P5+1 group, held inNovember inVienna, Switzerland, did not produce a comprehensive deal and the sides agreed tocontinue discussions inJuly 2015.

By Sputnik News

 

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