As an anti-Iran bill gained support among Republican senators in the US Senate, more than 60 US organizations delivered a joint letter to the upper chamber urging senators to oppose the new Iran sanctions legislation.

The letter came after Iran, the United States and other members of the P5+1 agreed to implement the terms of the Joint Action Plan struck in November in Geneva, which will ease existing sanctions on Tehran, Press TV reported.

The 62 organizations warned the Senate passage of new Iran sanctions would critically endanger the possibility of diplomatic resolution to a decade-long nuclear standoff with Iran.

They also warned that additional sanctions could increase the likelihood of a new costly war in the Middle East and strongly discouraged Senate consideration of new Iran sanctions while nuclear negotiations proceed.

The letter was jointly organized by the National Iranian American Council, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Win Without War, and was signed, among others, by CREDO and MoveOn.org.

The bill was originally introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Mark Kirk and has now the support of almost 60 senators.

Majority action

Senate majority leader Harry Reid on Monday prevented the chamber from voting on the controversial legislation following the US president’s opposition.

President Barack Obama has threatened to veto any sanctions legislation, saying it would undermine the ongoing talks with Iran.

Tehran also has said that the Geneva deal would be dead if the sanctions bill passes US Congress.

Under the Geneva agreement, the P5+1 undertook to lift some of the existing sanctions against Iran in exchange for Tehran’s measure to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities for a six-month period. It was also agreed that no nuclear-related sanctions would be imposed on the country within the same timeframe. Gates: New Sanctions a Terrible Mistake

Former US defense secretary Robert Gates censured the anti-Iran bill, calling the potential imposition of any new bans on the Islamic Republic “a terrible mistake”.

“Imposing new sanctions right now is a terrible mistake and would be a strategic error,” Gates said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.

Gates, who first served as the United States’ secretary of defense under former President George W. Bush, further said in the interview that any new sanctions against Iran should be tied to the failure of the nuclear negotiations.

He added that the US had “no choice but to sit down at the [negotiating] table with the Iranians”.

German Legislator: New Sanctions Endangers Talks

A leading German legislator of the co-ruling Christian Democratic party (CDU) also warned that the new sanctions could endanger fragile talks between Iran and six world powers on a final comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Speaking to IRNA following a five-day trip to Iran, the vice chairman of the CDU faction, Andreas Schockenhoff stressed it was ‘very important’ that no new sanctions be imposed against Iran as long as the negotiations over a nuclear deal were ongoing, saying imposing new sanctions would be a ‘breach of trust’.

He reiterated it was his impression that Iran and the West were ‘serious’ in the search for a permanent nuclear accord.

Schockenhoff said the latest signals from Washington as well as the bilateral talks between Iran and the US strengthened his view that there was a chance for a final agreement.

The lawmaker did admit though that the negotiations over it would be ‘difficult’.

He added the interim accord paved the way for a lasting deal.

The conservative MP reaffirmed Iran’s right to have access to nuclear technology, including for medical and research purposes.

Schockenhoff hailed the new Iranian government for what he termed its ‘constructive approach’ in the sphere of foreign policy.

On Syria, Schockenhoff welcomed mounting international calls for Iran’s participation at the Syria talks in the Swiss city of Montreux on January 22.

“I ‘absolutely’ support the position of the new German government that Iran should be at the negotiation table of the Syrian conference,” the close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

He also made clear there should be ‘no sideline formats’ at the Syrian meeting for consultations.

Schockenhoff pointed out that Iran was having a major responsibility towards Syria and therefore any solution to the Syrian conflict had to also include Tehran.