Obama Warns Congress: I Will Veto Increased Sanctions on Iran

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, warned Congress on Friday that he would veto a bill to intensify sanctions on Iran if it is passed. Mr. Obama, who was attending a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, emphasized that new sanctions 'jeopardize the possibility of achieving a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue' and would turn it into one of the 'most difficult and longest national security problems' the U.S. has faced. The new Congress is attempting to pass a bill that would increase sanctions against Tehran if a nuclear agreement is not reached between Iran and the P5+1 group, a bill that was not voted on in the previous Congress due to opposition from Democrats and the White House. However, senior figures in the new Congress, which has a Republican majority, say that passing this bill is among the Congress's priorities. In this context, Barack Obama insists that intensifying sanctions on Iran could provoke a negative reaction from America's international partners, a point that Prime Minister Cameron implicitly confirmed during the press conference. David Cameron, while opposing the intensification of sanctions on Iran at this time, stated that there should be time for the nuclear negotiations to succeed. Nevertheless, Mr. Cameron noted that the West is committed to ensuring that Iran cannot produce nuclear weapons. Barack Obama also warned Congress that if sanctions on Iran are intensified, Iran could use that as an excuse to halt negotiations. He then emphasized that if diplomatic solutions regarding the Iranian nuclear dispute fail, the likelihood of military confrontation increases, and in that case, Congress must accept the consequences of its decision. However, Mr. Obama also noted that the failure to reach a nuclear agreement does not necessarily mean that Washington would resort to military options. The U.S. President then stated that if Iran ultimately cannot accept an agreement or cannot assure the international community about its nuclear program, he would tell Congress to toughen conditions for Iran. According to him, it will become clear in the coming months whether Iran can respond positively to the international community, but currently, the chances of a diplomatic deal with Iran are less than 50 percent. He ultimately emphasized that the main goal should still be to achieve a diplomatic deal with Iran. The next round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group will take place on Sunday, January 18. Meanwhile, Iran and the U.S. have begun bilateral negotiations since Wednesday, during which the foreign ministers of the two countries have held several joint meetings. In this context, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has called for Congress's involvement in negotiations with Iran, emphasizing Obama's efforts to reach a 'comprehensive' nuclear agreement with Iran. Senator Corker stated that Congress continues to pursue sanctions against Iran. Larijani reported on representatives' proposal to increase the level of uranium enrichment.