Further sanctions on Iran could be counterproductive, White House says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday Iran should be given more time to answer concerns about its nuclear program and that imposing fresh sanctions on the Iranians could be counterproductive. White House spokesman Josh Earnest made the comments after Iran and six powers including the United States gave themselves seven more months to overcome a deadlock over the Iranian program. "The president has also been clear that no deal is better than a bad deal. But we do believe that enough progress has been made to warrant giving the Iranian regime more time to answer the international community's concerns about their nuclear program and to put in place a protocol for continuing to assure the international community about their compliance with these agreements," Earnest told a briefing. (Reporting by Will Dunham)