According to a Senate aide, the two Senators leading the charge for a new sanctions bill — Robert Menendez and Mark Kirk — are closing in on a proposal that would impose new sanctions but give the White House the flexibility it needs to defer the sanctions if a long term deal is within reach after the six month deadline on the temporary deal expires.
The aide tells me that the proposal being discussed would impose sanctions after the six month window, but would also give the President two additional 30 day periods if an agreement appears imminent and the administration wants more time to pursue a long term deal.
After that, the aide says, it’s likely the proposal will also include a mechanism enabling the president to suspend sanctions for additional 30-day periods, but only if certain benchmarks are met and if Iran is still in compliance with the agreement.
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