Will Sanctions Stop Iran's Nuclear Program?

It is quite a naïve notion in international diplomacy to think that the new US-motivated sanctions or any future sanctions will ever be effective in giving a stop to Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's nuclear program is now part of the Iranian identity. No power in the world will be capable of depriving the nation of abandoning its right even if the Iranian government capitulates to this humiliation.

On Thursday, the US State Department announced the toughest round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979. The sanctions were imposed on more than 20 Iranian companies, banks and individuals as well as the Defense Ministry in an effort to ratchet up pressure on Tehran to stop uranium enrichment.

Yet, the international community is not very optimistic about the new sanctions because they are so insubstantial that they will eventually fail. These sanctions may also be interpreted as a sign that the Bush administration will be heading towards a military strike on Iran.

The sanctions come under the same old accusations that "Iran funnels hundreds of millions of dollars each year through the international financial system to terrorists, that Iran's banks aid this conduct using a range of deceptive financial practices intended to evade even the most stringent risk management controls, that Iran is conducting a clandestine nuclear program to construct a nuclear bomb.”

The United States is all alone in its preposterous unilateral policies on Iran. The Bush administration has faced political failure in convincing the Islamic Republic of Iran to stall its nuclear activities.

Attempts to push Iran into the corner are not new. The fact is that those who follow Washington in pursuing the sanctions will surely be playing into the hands of the Washington stooges led by Cheney whose only solution to every international dilemma is a military solution.

If the international community wishes to resolve anything, it should stick to diplomacy rather than military option or imposition of sanctions.

The US sanctions will fail because Iran is extremely powerful and influential in the region and the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently warned the United States not to think of attacking Iran. On Oct. 16, the Caspian nations agreed that none of them would allow their countries to be used as a base for military strikes against any of the others.

Russia is an old friend and ally of Iran who does not see any hesitation in defending the interests of the Islamic republic and those of itself of course. Russia has been economically engaged with Iran for a long time in the Bushehr project.

After all, Russia's Putin enunciated his country's stance on the Islamic republic on Friday: "Why aggravate the situation now, why push [Iran] into a blind alley, threaten it with sanctions or hostilities?" Earlier he had described the new US sanctions as "running around like a madman with a razor blade in his hand."

India has renewed talks with Iran to establish a pipeline between the two nations. Iran has a positive balance of trade with China, as well as India. China has repeatedly defended Iran's nuclear program and its right to have access to it. Japan continues to be an important Iranian trade and diplomatic partner.

Germany and Italy had over $7 billion in exports to Iran last year. Therefore, they will not bring themselves into the ridiculous circle of those who follow the sanctions. Economically speaking, China is commercially wise and will not allow itself to be toyed around by those who wish to hold the reins of economic steed.

Iran has sustained the whips of time and the tyranny of the world superpowers. It is a steel tempered by hardships and economic sanctions and will not bend to sanctions for it has tasted similar mishaps before.

Europe is Iran's biggest trading partner and it is quite far-fetched that European businesses withdraw their multibillion-dollar trade and investments in Iran. European oil and engineering firms still do a robust trade with Iran in the field of oil and gas and other industries.

In the final analysis, the new sanctions will not have an iota of impact on Iran's economy. Iran will continue with its nuclear programs. Its European partners may temporarily abandon their transactions with Iran but in the long run, they will resume their trade activities with Iran.

And the US will be left alone, desperately seeking to find another way to stop Iran's nuclear program and marshal up international support for the unholy cause.