Obama asks key senators for time on Iran sanctions

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US President Barack Obama today asked key senators for a "pause" on seeking new sanctions on Iran, saying a peaceful resolution that prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is in America's national security interest.

Obama held nearly two hours meeting with the lawmakers at the White House ahead of the next round of nuclear talks between P5+1 powers - the US, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany - and Iran seeking to reach a deal that freezes Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for some relief to economic sanctions.

"The President made clear that achieving a peaceful resolution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is profoundly in America's national security interest," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, who attended the meeting, said there were concerns a US plan to relax some sanctions against Iran in return for freezing some aspects of its nuclear programme ceded too much leverage.

He said Obama asked lawmakers to "pause for a period of time" in seeking additional sanctions and allow world powers to negotiate a nuclear deal with Tehran tomorrow.

The White House has defended its policy of engagement with Iran while some Senators mull slapping additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic, saying that painful economic punishments could prod it to capitulate.

"The initial six-month step of the P-5 plus one proposal would halt progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and roll it back in key respects, stopping the advance of the programme for the first time in nearly a decade and introducing unprecedented transparency into Iran's nuclear activities while we negotiate a long-term comprehensive solution," Carney said.

Carney said Obama underscored that in the absence of a first step, Iran will continue to make progress on its nuclear programme by increasing its enrichment capacity, continuing to grow its stockpile of enriched uranium, installing advanced centrifuges and making progress on the plutonium track of the Iraq reactor.

"The President noted that the relief we are considering as part of a first step would be limited, temporary and reversible and emphasised that we will -- we will continue to enforce sanctions during the six-month period.

"He dispelled the rumours that Iran would receive USD 50 billion in relief, noting that those reports are inaccurate," Carney said.