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President Obama vowed Friday to stop any attempt by Congress to ratchet up sanctions against Iran while the U.S. and partner countries negotiate over its nuclear program.

Obama also warned lawmakers that they would be responsible if a sanctions drive were to lead to the collapse of the ongoing talks. A diplomatic failure could even lead to a war, which Congress will have to own if it passes a new sanctions bill, he said.

It will jeopardize the possibility of providing a diplomatic solution to one of the most difficult and long-lasting national security problems we have faced in a very long time, Obama said in a news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron. My main message to Congress at this point is, Just hold your fire.

Obamas language and forceful tone marked a sharp intensification of the White House effort to preserve the prospect of a deal with Iran and signaled deep anxieties about Congress' plans.

The presence of Cameron, who acknowledged that he has taken the unusual step of contacting U.S. senators about the possible sanctions, illustrated the high-stakes nature of Obamas tough talk. Many countries are watching closely to see whether the discussions fail, which many fear could lead to Iran building a nuclear bomb that could further destabilize the Middle East.

The charge that Congress is risking war is an explosive one aimed at lawmakers who mostly contend they are increasing the chance that diplomacy will succeed by building economic pressure on Tehran.

This is where I have a fundamental disagreement with the president, said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), noting that sanctions would be set to go into effect only if the discussions produce no agreement.

Iran and six powers the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have been negotiating under the terms of an interim agreement worked out in November 2013. It gave Iran limited relief from sanctions in exchange for a halt to some of its most worrisome nuclear activities.

Iran and the world powers missed deadlines twice last year to complete a deal, and critics of the diplomatic effort contend that these failures show Iran is unwilling to yield and that more sanctions are required.

But administration officials argue that the clamor for tougher sanctions stands to disrupt the negotiations.

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Obama tells Congress that more sanctions on Iran could lead to war