White House warns new Iran bill could scuttle diplomacy
The White House along with 10 Senate Committee chairs have openly opposed new Iran sanctions legislation pointing to a December 10 unclassified report by the US intelligence community that found new sanctions could derail diplomacy with Iran.
The White House, State Department and ten Senate Committee chairs warned on Thursday that new Iran sanctions legislation introduced by Senator Bob Menendez risks undermining US diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful resolution with Iran over its nuclear program.
"We don't want to see action that will proactively undermine American diplomacy,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told journalists at the White House Thursday. “We made it very clear to the Senate that it is not the time for new Iran sanctions. We don’t think it will be or should be enacted.”
“New sanctions would undermine the prospects for a successful comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran,” the US intelligence community wrote in an unclassified assessment provided to members of Congress December 10.
The assessment was cited by 10 Senate Committee chairs in an unusual letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging against new Iran sanctions at this time.
