Iran — Sanctions Won’t Help

New sanctions against Iran seem to be a foregone conclusion. The United States, this time around, is likely to have a smooth sailing in drafting punitive economic measures as it enjoys the blessings of China and Russia, apart from major European states.

Published: Sun 13 Dec 2009, 9:22 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 12:30 AM

Which is why US Defence Secretary Robert Gates believes that time is running out for Teheran to reciprocate, in words and deeds, to the world community’s desire for stalling its nuclear ambitions. While the Islamic Republic is obsessed with furthering its uranium enrichment profile and has backtracked on several of its earlier commitments, a new conflict is in the making. Yet, it remains to be seen how effectively the West and the US can persuade Teheran, to desist from going over the brink, before exercising an option that hasn’t worked in the past.

A constructive engagement is the need of the hour. Rather than resorting to a quick-fix solution, such as slapping sanctions, it would be wise to win over Iran through a sustained process of deliberations. The politics of deadlines and intimidations has proved to be counter-productive. Contrarily, it has led to politicising the issue. Teheran, which for long has indulged in delaying tactics and snubbed gestures for reconciliation, should keep in mind that renewed economic sanctions can further cripple the situation. The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is already in the eye of storm as an agitating opposition is posing serious questions of credibility and legitimacy. In such a circumference, more economic hardships for the people — reeling under crippling inflation and political disparity — can prove to be the last nail in the coffin.

Iran stands censured at home and abroad. Teheran should realise that its adamant attitude is neither helping it on the domestic nor the diplomatic front. This approach has damaged its standing among friends and allies. Refusing to cooperate with the international community is no more an option. Iran needs to climb down the ladder, and go back to implement its earlier decisions of opening up its nuclear installations for inspections and shipping out low-enriched uranium for reprocessing in Russia and France. There is no point in testing the patience of the West, as well as regional allies, which might  invite reprisal.

Before pushing for new sanctions, it’s time to stop and rethink. Iran has already weathered three decades of US sanctions, and also managed to hoodwink the United Nations and its monitoring agencies for long. Failure of coercion underscores the importance of persuasion. Iran’s political evolution and its desire for international acknowledgment needs to be harnessed, which can inevitably help find a way out of the crisis. Strangulating Iran with more sanctions will lead to more defiance.