US allies puzzled by March deadline for Iran deal
The Obama administration, in negotiations with Congress, "bought two months, but sold three," for negotiations for a final Iran nuclear deal, according to a Western diplomat.
The Obama administration considered it a win when it managed to persuade hawkish Senate Democrats last month to delay a vote on Iran sanctions by two months.
But some US administration allies are puzzled that what they consider a soft deadline for a framework agreement for a final Iran nuclear deal has seemingly become the de facto deadline, rather than the June 30 deadline that Iran and the six world powers agreed to in November.
The US administration has “bought two months, but sold three,” a Western diplomat, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor.
Some Democratic Senators who have signed onto a letter from Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to President Barack Obama have told interlocutors that the Obama administration asked them to give it until the end of March to see if a framework deal could be reached, before voting on new Iran sanctions legislation.
