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Obama takes tough line against Iran sanctions to Congress


By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama took his hard line against new sanctions over Iran's nuclear program directly to U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday by pledging in his annual State of the Union address to veto any legislation that threatens talks with Tehran.


"The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it," Obama said in his speech in the House of Representatives chamber.


He reassured Israel, a U.S. ally that is extremely wary of Iran's nuclear program, referring to "a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side." He added that all options - including the military option - were on the table for keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon if need be.


Fifty-nine of the 100 U.S. senators, including 16 of Obama's fellow Democrats, co-sponsored a bill that would impose new restrictions on Iran if talks on a permanent deal falter.


Supporters insist the bill would help hold push Iran during the negotiations. "The Menendez-Kirk bill is an insurance policy against Iran's development of nuclear weapons and ensures a process for the peaceful dismantlement of Iran's nuclear infrastructure," Illinois Republican Senator Mark Kirk said in a statement after Obama's speech.

Obama said U.S. diplomacy "backed by pressure" had rolled back Iran's nuclear program for the first time in a decade, as negotiators from six world powers hold talks with Iran.

"These negotiations will be difficult. They may not succeed," he said, adding his administration was "clear-eyed" about Iran's backing for terrorist organizations and mistrust "that cannot be washed away" between Washington and Tehran.



But if the negotiations succeed, he said, Iran could take "an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war."

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Peter Cooney)