WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from the Obama administration, Senate Democrats who favor a new batch of sanctions on Iran signaled a willingness to hold off on levying penalties to give diplomatic negotiations a chance.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made clear that a vote on a package of penalties pushed by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., wouldn’t occur anytime soon despite a call for a vote from Republican leader Mitch McConnell and a daunting number of backers for the legislation — 59.

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