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Refocus on Iran: More Sanctions Needed

(Heritage Foundation) James Phillips - Iran's hostile regime has been one of the chief beneficiaries of the political turmoil that has convulsed Egypt and Tunisia, which distracted the U.S. and other countries from the ongoing standoff over Iran's nuclear program. The Obama Administration should vigilantly refocus international attention on Iran's nuclear defiance, support for terrorism, and human rights abuses, and ratchet up pressure on Iran's radical regime. Tehran demonstrated that it is not serious about a diplomatic resolution of the nuclear issue by rejecting negotiations with the U.S., four other permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Germany at the January 21-22 talks in Istanbul. The Obama Administration should redouble efforts to escalate international sanctions on Iran's recalcitrant regime by pushing for more UN sanctions, ratcheting up unilateral sanctions, strictly enforcing U.S. sanctions, and ensuring that Chinese companies do not undercut sanctions. The writer is Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs in the Center for Foreign Policy Studies.
2011-02-17 00:00:00
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