Irani President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations. Photo: Screen shot.

JNS.org – Following nuclear talks in Geneva, the Obama Administration is considering to lighten Iran sanctions by offering the Islamic Republic access to billions of dollars in frozen assets overseas in exchange for compliance with American requests to scale back its nuclear program, the New York Times reported.

The Obama administration is asking the Senate to push back the vote on a new Iran sanctions bill until after Nov. 7, the date of the next stage of nuclear talks with the West, since Iran in Geneva said it was ready to reduce sensitive atomic activities in order to secure sanctions relief. But Senate Republicans say Iran sanctions should not be delayed because Iran has not taken real steps to halt the enrichment of uranium.

“Given Iran’s refusal to halt its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the Senate should immediately move forward with a new round of economic sanctions targeting all remaining Iranian government revenue and reserves,” U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) told The New York Times.

A senior Israeli official echoed Kirk’s sentiment in a message sent from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, saying after the Geneva talks that Iran “should be tested by its actions, not its proposals,” Israel Hayom reported.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in a memo Thursday that Iran has no “inalienable” right to enrich uranium, as the Islamic Republic said it has during the Geneva talks.

“The international community has spoken explicitly to that issue through United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions directing Iran to suspend enrichment,” AIPAC said. “These resolutions constitute the highest form of international law. Tehran must comply forthwith and halt all of its illicit nuclear activities.”