New sanctions against Tehran, but China’s veto remains
Last night, in an unexpected appearance in the White House briefing room, Mr Obama said the United States was confident the international community was "unified around Iran's misbehaviour in this area", adding that sanctions on Iran were "moving along fairly quickly" and should be completed in the next few weeks.
Mr Obama also said he was pleased at Russia's quick disapproval of Iran's latest move.
"How China operates at the Security Council as we pursue sanctions is something we're going to have to see," Mr Obama noted.
For its part, China hopes “relevant parties will step up efforts to push forward dialogue on this question," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
For many the latter is tantamount to saying that Beijing will not accept more sanctions. Since an earlier round of sanctions, China has become Iran’s top economic partner.
Inside the country, arrests and trials continue against opponents, some sentenced to death. To some, the new enrichment programme appears to be largely for domestic consumption. Hence, yesterday’s “spontaneous” demonstrations by Iranian “students” in front of the embassies of Italy, France and the Netherlands must be seen in this light.
Conversely, Supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Monday threats against Iran emanate from the enemy's inability to comprehend the divine roots of the Islamic Republic.
In parallel, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad extended his congratulations in a message to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on Chinese New Year, saying that he hoped for further cooperation in cultural, economic and political fields between the two countries.
Increasingly, much more appears to be at stake than a defeat for sanctions at the Security Council. Even taking a hard-line stance against Iran will not stop the clerical regime from claiming victory.
In the end for Tehran, good news might turn out to be bad news. In an editorial article, Saudi daily Asharq Alawsat said that failure to secure sanctions and the announcement by Western powers that they would stop talks with Tehran, might “be a good opportunity for Israel to persuade the West to launch a military strike against Iran, especially since the Iranians have succeeded in using up the time allotted to them by US President Barack Obama.” (PD)
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