Handle Iran with care

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed El Baradei is right in dismissing any imminent threat of sanctions against Iran as a ?bad idea?.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed El Baradei is right in dismissing any imminent threat of sanctions against Iran as a “bad idea”. His request to the US and other countries to “lower the pitch” in their clamour for Tehran to come clean on its atomic ambitions is sensible and will ensure Tehran’s fire-eaters do not use the issue to promote themselves. Coming in the wake of the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC)’s deadline to Iran to halt its uranium enrichment programme and return to the negotiating table within 30 days — or face isolation — Mr El Baradei’s call could bring down the tension by several degrees.

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This should not mean, however, that Tehran should be taken off the hook for its nuclear cheating. The most recent claims by Iranian officials that they have tested radar evading missiles with multiple warheads only serve to enhance the unease with which the world views Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Such missiles can have no other purpose than to carry nuclear weapons. Given Iran’s centrality to the stability in the Gulf region and the inability of the permanent five of the UN to agree on a common policy, it may be a better option for Washington and its allies to fine-tune their response to Iran’s bluster. Sanctions can include banning the travel of officials or the stoppage of civil aviation contacts, both of which were very effective in dealing with Libya.