Obama lauds six-month US-Iran nuclear deal
Warning against more sanctions, US leader says diplomacy must be given a chance
US President Barack Obama praised an agreement struck to curb Iran's nuclear programme over six months and argued that imposing additional US sanctions could scupper the deal.
"Now is the time to give diplomacy a chance to succeed," Obama said after the European Union revealed that Iran and six major powers had reached an accord to implement a November 24 nuclear agreement with Iran.
That agreement is designed to curtail Iran's nuclear activities for a six-month period beginning on January 20 in exchange for sanctions relief from the six major powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Iran has agreed to halt high-grade uranium enrichment and neutralise its existing stocks of nuclear fuel that are near weapons grade.
Obama also urged the US Congress not to impose additional sanctions on Iran, saying that doing so risked undermining the November agreement, known as the Joint Plan of Action (JPA), which aims to give the two sides six months to reach a comprehensive deal to address all questions about whether Iran seeks nuclear arms.
Iran denies this, saying its programme is solely for peaceful purposes, such as generating electricity and medical isotopes.
"Imposing additional sanctions now will only risk derailing our efforts to resolve this issue peacefully, and I will veto any legislation enacting new sanctions during the negotiation," Obama said, echoing a previous veto threat he had made.