Obama calls on Congress to authorize force against Islamic State

[January 21, 2015]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday called on the U.S. Congress to pass a new authorization of force against the Islamic State militant group and to not rush into new sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Obama said a U.S. led coalition of countries is stopping the advance of the group in Iraq and Syria.

"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," Obama said in the annual State of the Union address, using another acronym for the militant group.

Several U.S. Senators have been pushing to pass new sanctions on Iran as talks between the Islamic Republic and six world powers over its nuclear program drag on. But any new sanctions on Iran passed by this Congress before the talks are completed "will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails," Obama said.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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