Tough message prior to Nowruz
(VOVworld)- Iranians are celebrating the beginning of their New Year, Nowruz, the first day of the Iranian month of Farvardin on the Persian calendar, with hopes for peace and stability. However, on this New Year’s Eve, Iranians aren’t getting roses and olive trees to celebrate their New Year but tough messages on tightened sanctions against the country.
During his first trip to the Middle-east as US President since 2009, Barack Obama, at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu on March 20, reiterated the US commitment to cooperation with Israel to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Obama said the Washington- Tel Aviv relationship is eternal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu said Tel Aviv will use force, if necessary, to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambition.
These statements by Washington and Tel Aviv were expected by all observers because the Israeli government has been repeatedly sounding warning signals about Iran. In mid-March, Natanyahu sent a clear message that sanctions are not enough to block Iran’s nuclear ambition, so Israel is ready to launch preemptive air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said Iran’s nuclear program is Israel’s major challenge, so all alternatives are open. Prior to President Obama’s trip to the Middle-East, US Vice President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Iran of a deadline for any diplomatic solution to the conflict. Washington considers preventing Iran from producing a nuclear bomb to be vital to US and world security. Failure to stop Iran would lead to a dangerous arms race.
The US warning coincides with a negotiation between Iran and the P5+1 group on March 18. Though the closed meeting hinted progress in asking Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program at 20%, while the IAEA believed that Tehran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, the US is not satisfied. Washington still insists that Iran’s nuclear program has reached the “red limit” and that unless Iran offers more concessions, further sanctions will be imposed. The US has also threatened to punish Pakistan for joining Iran in a project to build a gas pipeline worth 7.5 billion USD in Chabahar city in southeastern Iran. Earlier, the EU had tightened sanctions on Iran by adding 9 more Iranian officials to its visa black list and freezing their assets. So far, 490 companies and 105 individuals have been black listed.
It is clear that Iran is becoming seriously isolated diplomatically, economically and militarily. Though Tehran has several times said it is ready to clear up the IAEA’s concerns about its nuclear program by signing an agreement, this has not satisfied the US and other Western leaders. Iranians are now celebrating the New Year with gloomy forecasts. Iran’s economy faces numerous difficulties with inflation reaching more than 20%, most of the banks closing due to sanctions, and high unemployment. Iran’s exports of crude oil, which account for ¾ of the total export value, have fallen from 2.2 to less than 1 million barrels a day, causing Iran a loss of 40 billion USD last year. The tough sanctions have undermined Iranians’ hope for a miracle in the near future.
Anh Huyen