In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Barack Obama said he would veto any new congressional legislation that places sanctions on Iran while talks continue to negotiate an agreement to prevent that country from acquiring a nuclear-weapons capability.
"Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we have halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material," Obama said during his annual address to the Congress.
"Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran, secures America and our allies -- including Israel -- while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict," he said.
"There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran. But new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails -- alienating America from its allies, and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again." It does not make sense, the President said.
"That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress," he said.
"The American people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom." In Iraq and Syria, American leadership - including U.S. military power - is stopping the advance of ISIL, Obama said.
"Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group," he said.
"We are also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism." This effort will take time and require focus, "but we will succeed," the President said.
"And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL."
On the US stance of the developments in Ukraine, Obama said that by opposing Russian aggression, supporting democracy in Ukraine and reassuring NATO allies, the United States is upholding the principle that bigger nations cannot bully the small.
Last year, as the United States and its allies were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions on Russia, some suggested that the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin "was a masterful display of strategy and strength," Obama said.
"Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters." "We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we do not let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents," he said. "That is exactly what we are doing right now, and around the globe, it is making a difference." The United States stands united with people who have been targeted by terrorists - from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, the President said.
"We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we have done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies," he said.
"Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we have trained their security forces, who have now taken the lead, and we have honored our troops' sacrifice by supporting that country's first democratic transition," Obama said.
"Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we are partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America." The bulk of the speech by the President was devoted to the subject of "middle-class economics," with Obama proposing many new domestic programs which the Republican-controlled Congress almost certainly will not enact.
But Obama has made it clear since the elections last November, and in his speech, that he will use his veto power to prevent the newly empowered Republicans from undoing his domestic achievements.
"We cannot slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns," he said.
"We cannot put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or re-fighting past battles on immigration when we have got a system to fix. And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, it will earn my veto." "At this moment - with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry and booming energy production - we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth," he said.
"It is now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come." The Middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change, Obama said.
"That means helping folks afford child care, college, health care, a home, retirement - and my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year," he said.
He called on Congress to fund "21st century infrastructure - modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest Internet." He also asked Congress to grant him "trade promotion authority to protect American workers with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that are not just free, but fair." And he urged action to address climate change.
"There is one last pillar to our leadership, and that is the example of our values," Obama said.
"As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we are threatened, which is why I have prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained, "It is why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It is why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace."