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Hitting Tehran Where It Hurts

[Wall Street Journal Europe] Mark Dubowitz - While longer-term hope still exists for a free Iran, Europe and the U.S. must prepare for a more dangerous Iranian regime over the short- or even medium term. Their legitimacy wounded and their paranoia increased, Iran's leaders now may be more repressive at home and intransigent abroad. What can be done to stop the regime's march to a nuclear bomb? For negotiations to succeed, supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and his coterie must be made to pay a higher cost for their nuclear weapons pursuit. Europe and her allies must be willing to peacefully exploit Iran's economic Achilles heel: the regime's heavy dependence on gasoline imports. Due to limited refining capabilities, Iran imports approximately 40% of its domestic gasoline consumption - the second-largest importer of gasoline in the world. That gasoline is supplied primarily by five companies: Swiss-Dutch Vitol and Trafigura, India's Reliance Industries, Swiss Glencore and French Total. During the presidential election, Mr. Obama endorsed the idea of squeezing Iran's gasoline supplies to dissuade Tehran from proceeding with its nuclear program. The writer is executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2009-07-16 06:00:00
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