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Squeeze Iran Harder

(Chicago Tribune) Editorial - After four rounds of UN sanctions against Iran, followed by ever more stringent U.S. and European Union measures, Tehran is suffering some economic pain for refusing to curb its nuclear ambitions. Finally. Gasoline imports to Iran reportedly fell by half in July compared with May levels, according to the International Energy Agency. More companies - not just energy firms - are turning their backs on Tehran. Toyota said last week that it has suspended auto exports to Iran. International investment in Iran's oil and gas developments is drying up. The bad news: So far all of this economic pain has not compelled Iran to halt its nuclear program. It may be that the costs are not yet high enough to force Iran to back off. How to stop Tehran? Expand U.S. sanctions against international companies doing business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. That needs to go beyond banks and energy firms to include all foreign companies with commercial ties to the Guards. And aggressively enforce the new sanctions against companies that supply Iran's energy sector including major Russian and Chinese companies that do business in the U.S. and Iran. We have the mullahs' attention. They're feeling some pain. Now ... squeeze harder.
2010-08-19 08:49:21
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