US Senate approves new sanctions for Iran energy, shipping

[A.Rafay]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Friday resoundingly approved new sanctions on trade with Iran's energy, port, shipping and ship-building sectors, its latest effort to ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.

The new package builds on existing U.S. sanctions but keeps exemptions for countries that have made significant cuts to their purchases of Iranian crude oil. Senators voted 94-0 to make the new sanctions part of an annual defense policy bill.

Iran's currency has plunged this year as its oil exports were slashed by U.S. and European sanctions aimed at pressuring the country's leadership to stop pursuing nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The United Nations' nuclear chief said on Thursday his agency has made no progress in its year-long push to investigate whether Iran has worked on developing an atomic bomb.

"We must be clear to the Iranians that toughing it out and waiting it out is not an option, that it will only get worse," Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said.

Menendez, of New Jersey, co-authored the package with Republican Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and Senator Joseph Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut.

The Obama administration has not publicly commented on the proposals, but has privately raised concerns that it does not provide enough "waiver flexibility," said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Levin said those concerns may be addressed when the Senate and House of Representatives work out differences to finalize the massive defense bill. The House has approved its version of the bill, and both bodies will need to approve a final version before it is sent to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

The new sanctions also include measures aimed at stopping the flow of gold from Turkey to Iran.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel lobby group, endorsed the measures, which they said would close a loophole in existing laws.

"In an effort to circumvent international sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran, some purchasers of Iranian oil and natural gas have been using gold and other precious metals to pay for petroleum products," AIPAC leaders said in a letter to senators ahead of the vote, urging support for the bill.

Whether an expansion of sanctions can actually slow or stop Tehran's nuclear program is uncertain.

Paul Pillar, a former CIA analyst for the Persian Gulf region, said sanctions will not work without solid diplomacy to accompany them. He said the leadership in Iran is unlikely to make concessions on the nuclear issue if it expects sanctions to continue until the regime falls.

"It is a fallacy to believe there is some breaking point at which the regime in Tehran cries 'uncle' and makes major changes in policy even if it sees itself as getting nothing in return," he said.

Jeff Colgan, a professor at American University who studies the geopolitics of oil, said the expanded sanctions would represent a "continuation of a cat and mouse game."

"The sanctions get placed, Iran tries to find ways around them, and the U.S. tries to close the loopholes. But so far, a dent in the (Iranian) economy has not resulted in a change in the nuclear program," Colgan said.

Senate approves new sanctions for Iran energy, shipping - chicagotribune.com

 

[national_crisis]

ha ha ha Iran got Pwned!

Iran should stop supporting terrorism or it will be pushed into desperation very soon.

 

[problemfreeleader]

Not USA but israel made sanctions by using name of america.

 

[JayAtl]

Not USA but israel made sanctions by using name of america.

are you sure , perhaps it was RAW that made Mossad, that made CIA , use their flux capacitors- the new mind mending machine that turns US senators into Manchurian candidates!

 

[RFS_Br]

are you sure , perhaps it was RAW that made Mossad, that made CIA , use their flux capacitors- the new mind mending machine that turns US senators into Manchurian candidates!

No need to poke fun at blogger. That sanctions are pushed on Iran to appease Israeli warmongering is not at all a fantastic claim. In fact, Western analysts have frequenly suggested that Israel's saber-rattling against Iran the previous months didn't indicate willingness to shell Iran on its own, but was instead a stance contrived to push the West to impose more sanctions "to avoid a war".

Don't know why the Indian posters get so bvtthurt and defensive whenever Israel is the subject of criticism.

 

[JayAtl]

No need to poke fun at blogger. That sanctions are pushed on Iran to appease Israeli warmongering is not at all a fantastic claim. In fact, Western analysts have frequenly suggested that Israel's saber-rattling against Iran the previous months didn't indicate willingness to shell Iran on its own, but was instead a stance contrived to push the West to impose more sanctions to avoid a war.

Don't know why the Indians posters get so bvtthurt and defensive whenever Israel is the subject of criticism.

From the little I can make out of the gibberish you wrote above, I can say this- his mother ship has room for you too. make sure to get your tin foil hat on before you board

 

[RFS_Br]

From the little I can make out of the gibberish you wrote above, I can say this- his mother ship has room for you too. make sure to get your tin foil hat on before you board

A bit defensive, are we? Perhaps it isn't me who needs room in a spaceship, perhaps it is you who should spend more time studying your English and less discussing matters you known nothing about on PDF.

 

[JayAtl]

A bit defensive, are we? Perhaps it isn't me who needs room in a spaceship, perhaps it is you who should spend more time studying your English and less discussing matters you known nothing about on PDF.

Garbage in garbage out is not knowledge grasshopper. Garbage you have espoused is antithetical to the " actual reasons for the sanctions being imposed". You are the classic " I see Jews in my nightmares as to always blame" contributor here. Hence my treating you like "comic relief" .

Small case in point, the sanctions are pushed by vast amount of countries that also include " other" countries in the region other than Israel. That the real reason is not just a terrorist supporting Iran will hand out dirty nuclear weapons to nefarious groups - but the real and larger concern that it will also start a nuclear arms race among it's neighbors. Neighbors that have made it clear that if Iran has nuclear weapons, they too will go Nuclear. I suppose your limited intelligence would say " so what". well- that's where you fall into " garbage" posters on PDF.

 

[RFS_Br]

Garbage in garbage out is not knowledge grasshopper. Garbage you have espoused is antithetical to the " actual reasons for the sanctions being imposed". You are the classic " I see Jews in my nightmares as to always blame" contributor here. Hence my treating you like "comic relief" .

Small case in point, the sanctions are pushed by vast amount of countries that also include " other" countries in the region other than Israel. That the real reason is not just a terrorist supporting Iran will hand out dirty nuclear weapons to nefarious groups - but the real and larger concern that it will also start a nuclear arms race among it's neighbors. Neighbors that have made it clear that if Iran has nuclear weapons, they too will go Nuclear. I suppose your limited intelligence would say " so what". well- that's where you fall into " garbage" posters on PDF.

Have I touched a nerve? I ain't gonna read all that BS.

 

[JayAtl]

Have I touched a nerve? I ain't gonna read all that BS.

why would you be expected to read it... garbage in garbage out means anything beyond one liners, is an overload on that small sensory

 

[Kaniska]

No need to poke fun at blogger. That sanctions are pushed on Iran to appease Israeli warmongering is not at all a fantastic claim. In fact, Western analysts have frequenly suggested that Israel's saber-rattling against Iran the previous months didn't indicate willingness to shell Iran on its own, but was instead a stance contrived to push the West to impose more sanctions "to avoid a war".

Don't know why the Indian posters get so bvtthurt and defensive whenever Israel is the subject of criticism.

It is very simple...In all war like situations, when none of the Muslim nations just bothered to support India, Israel stood behind us...Of course there intention might be opportunistic one, but when some one in distress stand besides you, we always stay neutral or support the people of the nation......It is as simple like why your btt geting hurt when Israel topic is coming up although you are from Brazil......Is it not strange??