New York Times: As the US negotiates with Iran over its nuclear program, President Obama may end up striking a temporary deal without the approval of Congress. According to the Treasury Department, the president has the authority to suspend many of the US sanctions against Iran without waiting for a congressional vote. However, such a suspension would only be temporary, as only Congress has the power to permanently terminate them. The sanctions have proven to be a valuable bargaining point with Iran. Hence proponents emphasize that lifting any sanctions must be a gradual process, with Iran allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to verify step by step that the necessary benchmarks have been met. It is hoped that some agreement can be reached so that Iran does not revert to covert means of obtaining nuclear technology.
