Special to WorldTribune.com

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

The UN Security Council is likely to delay for at least a month action to lift nuclear sanctions on Tehran under any deal reached with world powers, giving the U.S. Congress time to act first, officials said on June 15.

Western officials said the delay is politically necessary since the U.S. Congress — dominated by Republicans critical of parts of the proposed deal with Iran — wants to speak first.

Iran appears to be reluctantly accepting the delay.

“It seems there is no other choice,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters. “Are we happy about it? Of course not.”

Obama signed into law last month a measure giving Congress 30 days to review a deal before Obama can suspend U.S. sanctions.

In a sign that securing congressional approval won’t be easy, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker urged Obama to strengthen the deal or abandon it, saying it would be unacceptable to agree to only manage, rather than dismantle, Iran’s nuclear program.