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Drop the Soft Words. Squeeze Iran Sharply

[Times-UK] Rosemary Righter - The question is how to exert pressure on Iran's Islamic dictatorship, now that the political landscape has been transformed by the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad electoral coup and above all by the Iranians' refusal to take it lying down. To keep a pathway to the Iranian regime open now would confer legitimacy on a regime that has forfeited Iranian trust and demoralize Iran's opposition. Carrots do not work with either Ayatollah Khamenei, or with Ahmadinejad, who since stealing the election has declared the nuclear program non-negotiable. But increased economic pressure now would chime with the accusations leveled at Ahmadinejad by his challengers that mismanagement and "adventurism" have led to economic misery and international disrepute. Since Iran depends on Europe for 40% of its imports, mainly from Germany, Italy and France, a sharp temporary trade freeze would be devastating - particularly if it included petrol. Sanctions would hit the wealth of Revolutionary Guard commanders, who control vast tracts of the economy. The Europeans, however, will not move unless they can be convinced that sanctions form part of a coherent U.S. strategy.
2009-07-09 06:00:00
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