Middle East Focus: The West and Iran: Tightening the Financial Noose

Arabia Deserta

The West and Iran: Tightening the Financial Noose

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

It looks like American and Saudi efforts have had partial success in tightening the economic noose around Iran. After visits by treasury secretary Tim Geithner to Asia, and visits to Saudi Arabia of Japanese and Chinese officials, the picture seems clearer. Japan and South Korea will agree to gradually wean themselves from Iranian crude and to attach themselves to the Saudi teat. The Europeans presumably will agree as well. Petroleum will, after all, be used again as a political weapons and an instrument of blackmail. It appears that China and Russia will not play, since they have a more strategic more long-term outlook. Besides, China and Russia fancy themselves rivals rather than allies of the United States.

Now, for a few months, until the new sanctions start biting deeper, we will have to wait and see. Will they force Iran to yield to Western demands almost certainly made under Israeli and Saudi pressure? Will they force Iran to strike back in some fashion and thus possibly provoke the war that the West and Israel and the Saudi princes seem to want?

One thing is certain: if the Iranians were truthful about not aiming for a bomb, then they probably now regret that they did not go straight for it. After all, nobody seems to be threatening North Korea (or Pakistan or Israel).
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com