Obama says military action against Iran not ideal

WASHINGTON (Agencies)
Sanctions weakening Iran leaders: US official

United States President Barack Obama said late on Monday that Iran having a nuclear weapon
would be a “real problem” but he did not think military action by Israel or the United States was the “ideal way” to solve the crisis.

The United Nations Security Council, along with the United States and the European Union, have imposed tougher sanctions on Iran, which has defied international calls for it to halt uranium enrichment.

Iran says it needs the enriched uranium for the peaceful generation of electricity, but the United States and its allies, including Israel, fear Tehran’s nuclear program is a cover to build an atomic bomb.

	We don’t think that a war between Israel and Iran or military options would be the ideal way to solve this problem. But we are keeping all our options on the table
President Barack Obama

“We continue to be open to diplomatic solutions to resolve this,” Obama told a town-hall style meeting on CNBC.

“We don’t think that a war between Israel and Iran or military options would be the ideal way to solve this problem. But we are keeping all our options on the table,” he said.

U.S. military commanders have also warned that U.S. or Israeli military strikes against Iran could spark retaliatory action by Tehran and proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza strip that could destabilize the region.

Israel, believed to be the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East, regards Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to its existence and has not ruled out military action to prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb.

	Iran’s leaders are turning increasingly to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Iran’s military vanguard that has long been involved in Iran’s terrorism and missile programs — to prop up the economy
Stuart Levey

Sanctions weakening leaders

Earlier, Washington said that sanctions slapped on Iran over its nuclear program were weakening its leaders, which is becoming increasingly dependent on the elite Revolutionary Guards.

Stuart Levey, a key architect of the sanctions as undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, praised the growing number of companies that have halted business in Iran.

“Because Iran is vulnerable, the strategy we have in place today is working to create the leverage we need to enhance our diplomatic options,” Levey told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

“We are already receiving reports that the regime is quite worried about the impact of these measures, especially on their banking system and on the prospects for economic growth,” Levey said.

“Iran’s leaders are turning increasingly to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Iran’s military vanguard that has long been involved in Iran’s terrorism and missile programs — to prop up the economy,” he said.

“This is likely to exacerbate Iran’s isolation, as companies around the world have begun to shun all business” with the elite unit, he said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday said that the sanctions were “biting” and also spoke of a growing influence of the Revolutionary Guards.

Obama last year offered talks with Iran to repair three decades of bad blood. The administration says the offer is still open if Iran addresses its concerns.