sanctions on Iran

There's encouraging news on the growing impact of economic sanctions on Iran, as the Los Angeles Times reports today. The slow and steady ratcheting up of restrictions, begun under President Bush and continued under President Obama, has exceeded expectations. The United States was wise to push the Europeans and Asians, letting them learn for themselves that Iran was deceptive and uncooperative. Other nations still do not want to go quite as far as the U.S. Government, but they are inching in the right direction.

This broad coalition makes it harder for the Iranian government to convince its people that its policies are worth the costs. That still may not prevent Iran's leaders from trying to achieve a nuclear weapons capability, but it makes it easier to achieve agreement on further action if needed.