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Another battle is brewing in the war between the White House and Congress over the Iran nuclear talks 鈥� and it鈥檚 a battle that is intensifying as international negotiations on a comprehensive deal with Iran reach a make-or-break point.聽

President Obama is so concerned that a fresh round of sanctions from Congress right now could 鈥渂low up鈥� the international diplomatic process with Iran 鈥� and narrow options for dealing with Tehran鈥檚 nuclear advancement to military intervention 鈥� that he made the issue a focus of his meeting Friday with British Prime Minister David Cameron and of the two leaders鈥� post-meeting White House press conference.

And Mr. Cameron made it clear he backs Mr. Obama鈥檚 effort to squelch congressional action on sanctions at this point in delicate talks with Iran that involve the US, Britain, and four other world powers.

Cameron confirmed he has taken the unusual step of contacting several US senators since arriving in Washington Thursday to underscore the threat he believes new sanctions now would pose to the international unity that has kept Tehran at the negotiating table and put a diplomatic solution within reach.

Responding to a journalist鈥檚 query, Cameron said he had contacted 鈥渁 couple senators,鈥� and planned to contact a few more before heading home, to express his 鈥渙pinion that sanctions at this point won鈥檛 actually help and would fracture the international unity鈥� that Iran faces in the talks.

鈥淐ongress needs to show patience鈥� and 鈥渉old off [on action] for a few months,鈥� Obama said, repeating a vow to 鈥渧eto a bill that comes to my desk鈥� while the talks are under way.

Under an agreement on an extension of the negotiations reached in November, Iran and world powers are to reach the outline of a comprehensive deal by March, with the deadline for a final accord set for June 30.

So far Congress is showing no signs of being swayed by such arguments.

Key senators from both political parties who have long been skeptical of President Obama鈥檚 focus on diplomacy to prohibit Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon are pushing ahead with legislation.

One measure, co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Kirk, (R) of Illinois, and Sen. Robert Menendez, (D) of New Jersey, would impose a tough new round of sanctions on Iran鈥檚 energy and banking sectors if talks do not result in a deal by June.聽

Another from Sen. Bob Corker, (R) of Tennessee, would mandate a Senate vote on any final nuclear deal that Mr. Obama deems is not a 鈥渢reaty鈥� and thus does not require Senate ratification.聽

The measures might seem like just another round in the ongoing debate between the two ends of Pennsylvania Avenue over whether get-tough pressure from Congress in the form of new sanctions helps the talks鈥� prospects 鈥� the congressional point of view 鈥� or would 鈥渂low up鈥� the negotiations, as Obama said Friday and White House national security adviser Susan Rice asserted last month.聽

Except for one thing: The shift in Senate control to the Republicans this month and expansion of the body鈥檚 hawkish ranks reinforce the perspective that Congress really aims to scuttle the talks 鈥� and to curtail what some see as Obama鈥檚 drive for a legacy-setting renewal of relations with Iran.

Those twin goals rang loud and clear in a speech this week by Arkansas junior Sen. Tom Cotton (R), who told the Heritage Foundation in Washington that from his perspective the aim of Congress is not to ensure the nuclear negotiations succeed, but simply to end them.

鈥淐ertain voices call for congressional restraint, urging Congress not to act now lest Iran walk away from the negotiating table,鈥� Senator Cotton said in his talk Tuesday. 鈥淏ut the end of these negotiations isn鈥檛 an unintended consequence of congressional action, it is very much an intended consequence.鈥�

Cotton went on to demand an end to 鈥渁ll appeasement, conciliation, and concessions toward Iran,鈥� adding that the US should immediately replace 鈥渟ham negotiations鈥� with a policy goal of 鈥渞egime change in Iran.鈥�

Senators Kirk and Menendez say the fact their bill鈥檚 sanctions would only take effect if Iran fails to reach a deal in June is proof the legislation aims to enhance the prospects of diplomacy succeeding in verifiably blocking Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The Senate Banking Committee is set to take up the sanctions bill Tuesday. Among those testifying at the hearing will be Mark Dubowitz, executive director of Washington鈥檚 Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who argues that the legislation would give the US and its allies the leverage to negotiate a better deal with Iran.聽

鈥淭he only times Iran has halted its nuclear program is when it has been under pressure,鈥� he says.

But Obama noted in Friday鈥檚 press conference that the interim deal reached with Iran stipulates that no new sanctions are to be approved while negotiations are under way. Passage of new sanctions, even if not taking immediate effect, would allow Iran 鈥渢o assert that the US 鈥榖lew up the deal.鈥� 鈥�

He added there would likely be 鈥渟ympathy around the world to that view,鈥� particularly from China and Russia, both part of the talks, and other countries that have adhered to the sanctions in place and cut oil purchases from Iran.聽

Obama said the talks have perhaps only a 50 percent chance of succeeding even without the setback of new sanctions, and warned that being viewed as the spoiler in the negotiations could come back to haunt the US.

Saying that with failure of the talks 鈥渢he risk of military conflict is heightened,鈥� Obama said the US could find itself alone when the moment came to take action against an advancing Iranian nuclear program.

The US 鈥渕ay not be able to build a coalition of world leaders,鈥� he said, if the perception sets in that 鈥渨e were not serious in negotiations.鈥�