Serious sanctions for Iran?

Cliff May:

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What would serious sanctions look like? To begin, the U.S., perhaps with the assistance of some European allies — French president Nicolas Sarkozy, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and British prime minister Gordon Brown have all indicated support — would cut off shipments of gasoline and other refined petroleum products to Iran.

Only a few companies, mostly European, now supply these products, which Iran desperately needs because, though a major oil producer, it has constructed few oil refineries. Shipping companies, banks, and insurance companies that underwrite the trade also could be discouraged from continuing to participate in this business. Legislation to achieve such results, such as the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, has strong bipartisan support — three-quarters of both the Senate and the House.

James Woolsey, CIA director under President Clinton, has suggested that the White House and Congress, in addition, should make clear that from now on “any company that does any kind of business with an Iranian entity — not just the Revolutionary Guards, not just oil-and-gas companies, but any entity — can do no business with the United States government.”

Time is of the essence: Iran’s rulers already are conspiring with anti-American autocrats — in Russia, China, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan, for example — to find ways to break such an embargo, should it be imposed.

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I question whether the Europeans have the will to impose the sanctions and whether Obama has the will to enforce them by going after Iran allies who attempt to launder money for Iran and help Iran evade the sanctions. Is he willing to go after Venezuela and Ecuador who have already agreed to launder Iranian money? Is he willing to stop Venezuela's shipping of gas?

I have not seen any such will in Obama unless it has to do with Israeli settlements.