Washington: President Barack Obama is preparing to meet with key U.S. senators on Iran as the White House pushes Congress to hold off on new sanctions.
The White House says Obama will meet Tuesday with the Senate leadership, plus the chairmen and top Republicans on the Senate's banking, foreign relations, armed services and intelligence panels. Obama will host the meeting at the White House.
The White House is mounting a concerted effort involving Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry to dissuade Congress from passing a new round of tough sanctions while delicate talks are underway to resolve concerns about Iran's nuclear program.
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden says Obama will update senators on the negotiations before talks between Tehran and world leaders resume this week in Geneva.
