What Next after Failed Sanctions on Iran?

President Obama says he supports sanctions on Iran.

As the IAEA presses Iran for agreements on greater transparency, Iran wants to know where such agreements might lead, particularly regarding sanctions.

The Council imposed sanctions after Iran refused to do so.

But the international sanctions are hurting, and Iran risks losing Syria.

Russia trades heavily with Iran, which is another reason it is wary of sanctions on that country.

China seems likely to block effective sanctions on Iran because of its close energy relationship with the country.

But its other intention was probably to stymie American efforts to adopt new United Nations sanctions on Iran.

It was both right and important that the EU Council of Foreign Ministers agreed on sanctions against Iran.

Congress responded by unanimously adopting the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996.

Tougher economic sanctions will not force Iran to comply instead, sanctions will merely hit this oil and gas rich country s trading partners.

In return, Iran will get limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible relief from international sanctions.

China appears to have taken the message to heart, as it voted in favor of sanctions on Iran for the first time. Iran responded by calling China s vote two faced.

Pakistan is worth invoking when assessing whether the sanctions now imposed on Iran will force it to surrender its nuclear program.

NEW DELHI The United States recently took the Iran sanctions monkey off India s back it granted India an exemption from Iran related financial sanctions in exchange for significant cuts in Indian purchases of Iranian oil.

And, however severe economic sanctions might be, they might not bring Iran to its knees.

Since then, Iran has responded to incremental tightening of international sanctions by building more centrifuges.

China appears to have taken the message to heart, as it voted in favor of sanctions on Iran for the first time.

Thus, the Obama administration may find it more politically expedient to seek a deal with Iran. If Iran displays a real willingness to compromise, the West should hold off on the new sanctions.

Iran wants to know which sanctions might be delayed, frozen, or lifted in exchange for current and future concessions, fearing that the US will continue to impose sanctions on human rights, security, or other grounds.

What is on offer to Iran is not just relief from economic sanctions Iran is being offered membership in the international community an outcome that some Iranian leaders (though obviously not all) clearly want.

Failure would lead America to seek the UN Security Council s formal condemnation of Iran, coupled with sanctions.

With respect to Iran, Obama struggled to implement United Nations approved sanctions and avoid a premature war.

Even as we look to tighten sanctions on Iran in 2011, we must strengthen our efforts to establish a strong political and diplomatic track.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia s oil reserves enable it to give crucial support to oil export sanctions on Iran by offsetting the loss of global supply.

Sanctions should be a tool of diplomacy, not the other way around. Even as we look to tighten sanctions on Iran in 2011, we must strengthen our efforts to establish a strong political and diplomatic track.

But the argument that sanctions would work better than negotiations flies in the face of the facts despite stronger sanctions, Iran has dramatically increased its uranium enrichment capacity.

Working Group on Sanctions

But Russian leaders resist tough sanctions on Iran, lest they jeopardize financial dealings there and lead to increased Iranian support for Muslim minorities inside Russia.

Although war is unlikely in the coming months, if sanctions on Iran don t bear fruit by early 2011, Israel might feel the need to act.

Both Republicans and Democrats are threatening to pass a new round of tough sanctions against Iran in December.

The United Nations Security Council s recent decision to tighten existing sanctions on Iran by prohibiting dealings with 15 individuals and 13 organizations aims at precisely that.

In fact, it is far from certain that Iran will be able to withstand current sanctions related pressures indefinitely.

Between 2006 and 2008, Iran was subjected to three United Nations Security Council resolutions, each imposing yet more sanctions.

Opposing new sanctions against Iran in the Security Council further alienated Turkey from both the EU and the US.

In UN Security Council Resolution 1737 of 26 December 2006, the Council imposed a series of sanctions on Iran for its non compliance with the earlier Security Council resolution deciding that Iran suspend enrichment related activities without delay.

CASMII is an independent campaign organisation with the purpose of opposing sanctions, foreign state interference and military intervention in Iran.

In return, Iran would receive substantial relief from the removal of those sanctions imposed in response to its nuclear program.

Of course, some imports would become more expensive for Iran, but the economic effect of such sanctions would remain limited.

The effects of the latest round of international sanctions on Iran are somewhat ambiguous they have weakened the country, but they do not seem to have weakened Ahmadinejad.

In early January 2007, the US government imposed economic sanctions on three Russian companies, including Rosoboronexport, for selling missiles and other prohibited military technologies to Iran and Syria.

As the sanctions imposed on Iran outside the Security Council clearly show, effective action can be taken to tilt the balance and end the deadly stalemate in Syria.

Israel slapped draconian sanctions on Gaza.

Israel slapped draconian sanctions on Gaza.

Why Sanctions on Russia Don t Work