WASHINGTON - Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will hold a briefing on Thursday on the status of nuclear talks with Iran for members of a US Senate committee considering a package of tough new sanctions on Tehran, Senate aides said on Friday.
President Barack Obama's administration has been pushing the Senate Banking Committee to hold off on the new sanctions package to let negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program get under way.
The secret briefing with Kerry and Lew on the status of the so-called P5+1 talks will take place on Thursday at 4 p.m. (2000 GMT), according to the aides.
While Congress has sought harsher sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, the administration wants more time to give negotiations a chance.
Washington and its allies believe Tehran is developing the ability to make a nuclear weapon, but Tehran says the program is for generating power and medical devices.
