The U.S. Senate has delayed looking at a new package of sanctions on Iran until after nuclear talks between Iran and the 5+1 are held later this month.
The delay, according to Reuters, could create a more amicable atmosphere for the talks in Geneva.
Senator Bob Corker, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was quoted as saying: “There's been some discussion about whether it's best right now, while the negotiations are occurring, just to keep the existing ones in place.”
While the U.S. Congress is still inclined toward intensifying sanctions, Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief who leads the 5+1 delegation in negotiations with Iran, announced on Monday that U.S. lawmakers should refrain from imposing new sanctions before the talks, saying she would like the talks in Geneva to be held in the “best possible atmosphere.”
The new Iranian administration has expressed a strong resolve to reach an agreement on the nuclear issues with world powers and end years of dispute.
