EU Places New Sanctions on Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing new sanctions from the European Union after it refused to give up its nuclear weapons program. Part of the package includes attempts to prevent Iran from modernizing its oil and gas infrastructure, damaging their economy in the long term. Still, gasoline shipments will continue, keeping the Iranian theocracy afloat.
There is an interesting quote:

“I have yet to meet anyone who thinks this issue is going to be sorted out by sanctions alone,” Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. “There’s also a downside to sanctions. They tend to reinforce and strengthen and enrich the wrong people.”

Remember that the US, USSR, Europe, and the UN imposed much, much stricter sanctions against Iraq after its August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Five months later Iraq still had not left Kuwait, forcing the issue militarily.

Posted by Matthew Avitabile