U.S. President Barack Obama hailed an historic interim deal with Iran Saturday as "an important first step" towards a comprehensive accord to end the dangerous showdown over Teheran's nuclear program short of war.

Obama, speaking at the White House after the deal was clinched between the P5+1 world powers and Iran in Geneva, said the agreement had for the first time in a decade halted progress on Iran's nuclear program.

President Michel Suleiman received on Saturday cables from U.S. President Barack Obama, British Premier David Cameron, and a number of world leaders on the occasion of Independence Day.

Obama expressed to Suleiman his country's commitment to supporting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in order to put an end to impunity.

President Barack Obama praised the "leadership" of Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Friday after holding wide-ranging talks with the North African monarch for the first time at the White House.

In a joint statement released by the United States and Morocco following the talks, Obama applauded the king for "deepening democracy, promoting economic progress and human development" in the past decade.

The U.S. Senate will move to impose new sanctions on Iran in December if nuclear negotiations between Western powers and Tehran do not bear fruit, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Thursday.

"The Senate must be prepared to move forward with a new bipartisan Iran sanctions bill when the Senate returns after the Thanksgiving recess. I'm prepared to do just that," Reid said.

A pair of Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton silently honored John F. Kennedy at the former U.S. leader's grave Wednesday, marking the 50th anniversary of his assassination.

Obama and Clinton, along with First Lady Michelle Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, laid a large blue and white wreath on the sun-dappled grave of JFK, who was gunned down in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday celebrated American legends of politics, sports, letters, science and the arts including Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey in awarding his country's highest civilian honor.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony was lent added poignancy as the award was first minted by John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated 50 years ago this week.

The United States has ruled out apologizing to Afghanistan for "mistakes" made during the 12-year war and denied claims in Kabul that such a mea culpa was being drafted.

The stern comments in Washington came after Afghan leader Hamid Karzai's spokesman said President Barack Obama planned to write a letter acknowledging that American military errors had caused civilian casualties.

President Barack Obama asked key senators Tuesday for a delay in imposing new sanctions on Iran, but apparently failed to win over hardened skeptics of a proposed interim nuclear deal with Tehran.

Obama met the lawmakers at the White House on the eve of the next round of nuclear talks between the P5+1 powers and Iran in Geneva, and as some senators mull increasing sanctions on the Islamic Republic -- a move opposed by the administration.

President Barack Obama will personally urge powerful U.S. senators Tuesday to hold off on imposing more sanctions on Iran, to allow high stakes nuclear talks to succeed.

Obama will meet leading members of key Senate committees on the eve of the next round of talks between world powers and Iran in Geneva aimed at clinching an interim deal to boost diplomacy on ending a nuclear showdown.

Several Democrats defected Friday to vote for legislation that would gut significant portions of the new U.S. health care law, the strongest sign yet of party anger over "Obamacare."

Even if the Democrat-run Senate took up the House measure, the White House has already said President Barack Obama would veto it if it reaches his desk.