And now an update on our Persian friends

The news is mixed. As the Washington Post and others report, the US has begun seeking a third round of sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. This comes on the heel of IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei’s update on Iran’s compliance with past UN resolutions on the program. Paradoxically, ElBaradei admitted that even while Iran was giving more information to the IAEA about its nuclear program, its overall knowledge of the program is “diminishing.” What the IAEA does know for sure is alarming: Iran is now continuously processing 3,000 centrifuges, a tenfold increase from a year ago. If each of them functions at peak capacity, they can produce enough uranium for a nuclear bomb in one year. While they are not at this point yet, if left alone they certainly will be.
The various Western powers with a head of sense on them are contemplating their next moves. Washington is pushing for sanctions, which would be backed in the UN Security Council by Britain and France, but probably vetoed at this point by, predictably, Russia and China. The so-called “EU 3”—Britain, France, and Germany—are also considering getting the EU to consider American-style sanctions that could deliver a big hurt to the Iranian energy sector, and thus Iran’s entire economy.
As a result of both economic and military threats, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is now under increasing pressure to muzzle Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and get him to cooperate more with Western powers. The sanctions have not stopped the nuclear program yet, but it is clear that they are influencing the opinions of the Iranian elite. Stepping up internal pressure is the only way to get Khameini to clamp down on the nonsense. This is why we should encourage complete divestment from the Iranian energy sector by all of our allies. It doesn’t get us caught up in a waiting game with Ahmadinejad and it’s less risky than airstrikes.