"New Sanctions on Iran" - Original Photo: REX FEATURES Modified Photo: Author
The U.N. Security Council yesterday voted for “tough[,] . . . smart and precise” sanctions upon Iran’s rogue Government in hopes of stemming their Nuclear weapon ambition. With a 12-2 vote (notably Turkey & Brazil, having a nuclear fuel deal in place with Iran, being the “Nays”) a watered down sanction was passed.
While parts of the sanctions have “voluntarily provisions” they were needed to have China’s support. Victor Gao, director at the China National Association of International Studies,a government think-tank, states that it allows a legal justification for any actions specified in the resolution by each country. China strongly stating that it still supports a “diplomatic approach” as the best approach. One would due well to wonder what China’s interests (read as oil) are in not being tougher on a rogue government with nuclear weapons ambitions.
On the opposite side, reports have already come in criticizing Israel for leaning on China to accept the resolution by outlining not only classified information of what nuclear weapons Iran is developing but also what a preemptive strike upon Iran by Israel would look like to China’s oil supplies.
While some reports criticize this, some are ignoring the public acknowledgment by Israel. It does not deny the message which outlined (1) what Iran’s nuclear ambitions are and (2) what the outcome would be. In doing that Israel reminded China that their rise to world power is not yet complete. It is still crossing that tight rope line to world power status. China still needs to take into account the nations around it and possibly consider not just the repercussions but it’s responsibility in supporting rogue nations. A war between Israel and Iran would seriously disrupt China’s oil consumption with devastating economical results. It is noteworthy to pause here and ask if this “message” is financial leveraging or financial terrorism between states? Either way it has been happening behind closed doors between nations for years. Israel on the other hand, isn’t hiding anything.
Israel is also free from what the U.S. cannot do. Influence from the U.S. on China is intrinsically hampered by it’s foreign debt to China (much like the London-U.S. debt-selling threat in the Suez Canal or the U.S.-China threat to “stop spending money”). Israel, though, does not have that problem and has the luxury of having its voice “heard” by the rising Asian Lion.
In the end, how strong or weak are these voluntary provisions? It will still need to be seen as the U.N. nations prepare to implement the sanctions. Brazil and Turkey’s nuclear fuel deal with Iran has already been wiped out automatically by the sanctions. But whether the sanctions are in fact “like a used handkerchief for [Iran] . . . and should be thrown into a waste bin . . . [t]hey cannot hurt Iran” is yet to be seen. (quoting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad)
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