A dangerous Persian game
By Toby Vogel - 25.03.2010 / 05:19 CET
Unlikely to win the United Nations Security Council's backing for stronger sanctions, the EU and its Western allies ponder what to do next about Iran's nuclear programme.
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ABOVE Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president. LEFT A Sejil 2 missile with a range of nearly 2,000 kilometres is testfired in an Iranian desert. BELOW A pro-nuclear demonstration in Tehran.
Fact file
Existing sanction
UN Security Council resolutions 1737, 1747 and 1803, adopted in 2006-08, require Iran to suspend its enrichment of uranium and prohibit the transfer of most nuclear and missile technology to the country. They also prohibit Iranian arms exports, freeze the assets of 40 persons and entities, and ban five individuals from travelling abroad. Both the EU and the US have travel-bans and asset-freezes in place that go beyond the UN's measures. The US has had a trade and investment ban with Iran in place since 1995, although some of its provisions have subsequently been eased.
Embargo on monitoring equipment?
The US Congress is increasingly interested in imposing sanctions on firms that supply Iran with the monitoring technology that helps the regime crack down on opponents. A joint venture between Nokia of Finland and Siemens of Germany is reported to have sold such technology to Iran in 2008. The issue has also raised concerns in the EU. On Monday (22 March), the Union's foreign ministers called on Tehran to “stop the jamming of satellite broadcasting and internet censorship and to put an end to this electronic interference immediately”. Their statement said: “The EU is determined to pursue these issues and to act with a view to putting an end to this unacceptable situation.” Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, added that any measures needed further consultations.
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