Sanctioning Iran

by Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium: Fri., Jan 18, 2008
Filed under: War Making and Oversight

How low is the international appetite for trade sanctions against Iran?

Energy-hungry China, which has extensive business interests in Iran, supported earlier U.N. resolutions against Tehran, but has sided with Russia in opposing a new sanctions resolution being sought by Washington and its allies, instead calling for more intensive negotiations.

That opposition has hardened since the December release of a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate that said Iran stopped working on a secret nuclear weapons program in 2003, contradicting Washington’s previous view that Tehran was continuing such activities….

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu indicated Thursday there were no changes to China’s opposition to new sanctions. Beijing hopes the international community will “intensify diplomatic efforts for an early resumption of negotiations,” she said at a regular news briefing.

Very low.