On January 16, President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron urged U.S. lawmakers not to pass new sanctions legislation. New penalties from Congress would “put at risk the valuable international unity that has been so crucial,” Cameron warned at a joint press conference at the White House.
Cameron also acknowledged that he had called a couple of U.S. Senators to tell them about the U.K. position on sanctions— an extremely unusual step for a U.K. prime minister. U.K. officials said that Cameron also had plans to contact Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, who is working on legislation to require Congressional review of a deal, and Senator Mark Kirk, who has co-authored a bill that would impose new sanctions if talks falter. Cameron also reportedly has plans to speak with Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain.
A great meeting with President Obama covering the economy, global security, cyber-terrorism and Iran. pic.twitter.com/Db6kMaN3SC
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 16, 2015During the press conference, Obama reiterated his threat to veto any new sanctions legislation. His comments come one day after a meeting with Democratic senators in which he reportedly clashed with Senator Menendez, who has co-authored a sanctions bill with Senator Kirk.
The following are excerpted remarks by Obama and Cameron.
President Barack Obama
“I am asking Congress to hold off because our negotiators, our partners, those who are most intimately involved in this assess that it would jeopardize. My main message to Congress is just hold your fire.”
Congress “needs to show patience” while negotiations are underway because “the chances that this will become a military confrontation is heightened” if lawmakers try to pass new sanctions now.
“I will veto a bill that comes to my desk, and I will make this argument to the American people as to why I am doing so. I respectfully request for them to hold off for a few months to see if we have the possibility of solving a big problem without resorting potentially to war.”
“It’s my team that’s at the table. We are steeped in this stuff day in and day out. We don’t come to these assessments blindly.”
“If Iran proves unable to say yes [to a deal]… then we’re going to have to explore other options, and I would be the first to come to Congress and say we need to tighten the screws.”
“We may not get there, but we have a chance to resolve the nuclear issue peacefully.”
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron
President Obama and I believe more sanctions now on Iran would be counter-productive and would undermine valuable international unity.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 16, 2015"I have contacted a couple of senators this morning, and I may speak to one or two more this afternoon."
But the calls are "not in any way... to tell the American Senate what it should or should not do."
“It’s the opinion of the United Kingdom that further sanctions, or further threat of sanctions at this point, won’t actually help to bring the talks to a successful conclusion, and they could fracture the international unity.”