WASHINGTON—The White House is pressing Congress to hold back on new sanctions against Iran, pitting the administration’s hopes for a re-energized diplomatic engagement against the growing concern of some lawmakers and foreign allies. The Obama administration is arguing that diplomatic efforts need more time to contain Tehran’s nuclear program. But a number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers want to bring a new sanctions bill targeting Iran’s oil exports and finances to a Senate vote by the end of next week. A similar bill cleared the House of Representatives in July and is waiting to be reconciled with the Senate’s. “Iran needs to immediately end its systematic noncompliance with the repeated demands of the U.N.,” said Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.), the House majority leader. “We all want negotiations to succeed, but time is clearly running out.” Senators have delayed action once already, after Wendy Sherman, the undersecretary of state, […]