Sanctions against Iran - and whether to increase them or ease them - have become a crucial issue as major powers engage Iran in talks over its suspected nuclear weapons program.
With talks proceeding in Geneva, President Barack Obama has asked lawmakers to delay action on new sanctions to give diplomacy a chance.
After a White House meeting Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) said no new legislation will be put to a vote until after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Corker and other key leaders of the Senate's banking, foreign relations, armed services and intelligence committees discussed the issue with Obama.
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Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also approved of stronger measures. He spoke during a Nov. 13 session of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.
"Without new sanctions, American negotiators will likely never again have as much economic leverage over Tehran as they do right now. The impact of European and American sanctions on Iran is what helped to jump start these negotiations," said Dubowitz. "The efficacy of sanctions depends on the threat of their escalation where an ever expanding web of restrictions keeps foreign firms from doing business with the regime."
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