Congress does Obama a favor on Iran: Column

President Obama opposes the Iran sanctions debate in Congress, but action on Capitol Hill will in fact strengthen the president's hand at the negotiating table.

On Tuesday, Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015. The bill would lay a tough new round of sanctions on Tehran should negotiators fail to limit Iran's nuclear program. The act has strong bipartisan support, with eight Republican and six Democratic co-sponsors.

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama asked Congress not to move forward with the sanctions bill, saying it would make negotiations more difficult and could even lead to war. But Congress is taking a highly deferential approach. In a nod to White House concerns, Democratic backers of the bill agreed to hold off support for floor action until after the March 24 deadline the P5+1 nations have targeted for an agreement with Iran. In addition, even if the bill passes, sanctions do not kick in until July 6. Furthermore, the bill grants the president month by month waiver authority if a deal with Tehran is imminent.

At the same time, the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act reminds Tehran that it cannot draw the diplomatic process out forever. A nuclear deal was supposed to have been reached last July, but since Iran was recalcitrant the deadline was extended to November. Then the November deadline was also missed and extended. Meanwhile the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that same month that Iran's stockpiles of low enriched uranium gas and 5% enriched uranium were growing. In addition, last December, the U.S. reported to the United Nations that Iran attempted to obtain illegal equipment for the IR-40 research reactor at the Arak nuclear complex, which could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium.

Presumably, the mullahs believe they can draw this process out indefinitely, keeping western diplomats busy at the negotiating table while continuing covert work on their nuclear program. The sanctions act is an attempt to bring discipline to the process by imposing definite consequences should a deal not be reached. It adds a stick to what so far has been a field of carrots.

Delaying floor action on the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act until March will also reinforce Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's message when he speaks on the Iranian nuclear threat before Congress March 3. The White House has declined to accept a meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, citing a long standing precedent of not meeting with world leaders close to their elections (Israel is holding a national election March 17) .But this is not exactly true. In 1996, President Bill Clinton met with Prime Minister Shimon Peres less than a month ahead of the May 29 Israeli elections. The meeting was seen as a way to support Peres' faltering campaign. Ultimately Peres lost — to Netanyahu. But like the sanctions act, the White House should embrace the opportunity to show Tehran that there are penalties for not taking negotiations seriously. Keeping Mr. Netanyahu at arms length only emboldens Iran to stay the course of delay and denial. A private, off the record meeting between the two leaders might focus the attention of the Iranian leadership.

Western diplomats can set deadline after deadline, but until they are backed up with meaningful consequences, Iran will never sign a nuclear deal. Congress is trying to help; Mr. Obama should let them.

James S. Robbins writes weekly for USA TODAY and is author of The Real Custer: From Boy General to Tragic Hero.