Obama administration asks US lawmakers to wait until Geneva meeting regarding new sanctions against Iran; Iran’s foreign minister: The telephonic conversation between Rouhani and Obama a thorn in the eyes of ill-wishers of Iran, Islam, and (the Islamic) r
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    • According to reports, Wendy Sherman, United States Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, urged members of US Congress to hold onto fresh sanctions against Iran until President Barack Obama’s administration can assess the new conciliatory tone from the Iranian government. She said, “Let me assure you that we will continue to vigorously enforce the sanctions that are in place as we explore a negotiated resolution, and will be especially focused on sanctions evasion and efforts by the Iranians to relieve the pressure.” The Iran’s new President Hassan Rouhani had recently expressed desire to reconcile with US officials, marking the possibility of new relations between the countries. Sherman, who is leading the US delegation in talks with Iran asked US lawmakers to at least wait until US and Iranian officials meet in Geneva in mid-October before moving forward with more sanctions. The UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China will also participate in the Geneva talks, although direct Iran-US meetings are expected be the most important of the negotiations. 1

    In another development, according to reports, Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif has said that the recent visit of President Hassan Rouhani to New York and his telephone conversation with his US counterpart Barak Obama have become “a thorn in the eyes of ill-wishers of Iran, Islam, and (the Islamic) revolution.” Obama and Rouhani spoke by telephone, the highest-level contact between the two countries in three decades and a sign that they are serious about reaching a pact on Tehran's nuclear program. The 15-minute call was the culmination of a dramatic shift in tone between Iran and the United States, which cut diplomatic relations with Iran a year after the 1979 revolution that toppled US ally Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and led to the US Embassy hostage incident in Tehran. According to Rouhani, the two men "expressed their mutual political will to rapidly solve the nuclear issue." 2

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