US rethinking Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration is rethinking how to apply economic sanctions to Iran following what it calls is a crackdown on pro-democracy activists, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Citing an unnamed senior State Department official, the newspaper said the White House is trying to adjust planned sanctions for Irans uranium enrichment programme to focus more tightly on the Iranian leadership and avoid hurting ordinary Iranians.
The source said the Administration is concerned that overly broad sanctions could appear too harsh if ordinary citizens who oppose the regime are also affected. So discussions are reportedly ongoing in Washington on how to make the sanctions as narrow as they can be.
The Times quoted the source as saying the new approach would likely preclude an international ban on gasoline sales to Iran, a move that has strong support among hawks in the US Congress.
The Administration and US allies are likely to resist cutting off gasoline shipments because it would have such far-reaching effects on Iran.
The US House of Representatives voted 412 to 12 this month to approve a bill that would penalise companies that help provide refined petroleum products to Iran. The measure is expected to also pass the Senate.
Some analysts have reportedly warned Irans crackdown on protesters will complicate efforts to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme. The Times source, in fact, said a nuclear deal was now off the table.