Sen. Robert Menendez, Chairman of SFRC, took to the Senate floor yesterday to express his concerns about the current path forward on Iran, both in the administration and in the Senate. In a long and detailed speech, Menendez chastised the administration for its use of the term “war-mongering,” criticized the Joint Plan of Action, and stated his disinterest in playing partisan politics.

The key message in President Obama’s State of the Union speech earlier this week was that the President is willing to take action this year – with or without the support of a recalcitrant Congress. While the bulk of his discussion focused on executive action on economic issues, President Obama made it clear that this mindset also applies to Iran, an issue that has embroiled both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue in an ongoing fight over new sanctions and the direction of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

By all indications it looks like the Senate will be holding off on new Iran sanctions, at least for the time being. Whether this means the rest of 2013 or the first six months of 2014 has yet to be seen. One report seems to imply that Senate Democrats have decided to side with the President on the issue, and statements from many top Democrats in recent days would suggest that’s the case.