Posted on 12/31/2011 3:19:41 PM PST by bkopto
US President Barack Obama Saturday signed into law tough new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and financial sector, in a move that could intensify a brewing Gulf showdown.
The measures, meant to punish Iran for its nuclear program, were contained in a mammoth $662 billion defense bill, which Obama signed despite having reservations that it ties his hands on setting foreign policy.
The sanctions are meant to hit Iran's crucial oil sector and require foreign firms to make a choice between doing business with Tehran's financial sector and central bank or the mighty US economy and financial sector.
Foreign central banks which deal with the Iranian central bank on oil transactions could also face restrictions, sparking fears of damage to US ties with key nations such as Russia and China which trade with Iran.
Obama signed the bill in Hawaii where he is on vacation, at a time of rising tension with Tehran, which has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz -- through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes.
The United States has warned it will "not tolerate" such an interruption. In comments reported Saturday, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili warned that Iran would "give a resounding and many-pronged response to any threat" made against it.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Bummer probably wants a war, though it's hard to see how one could have been avoided even with Juan McCain at the helm and Sarah Palin as the heiress apparent. It will give Mitt Romney a chance to look all hawky in his dove feathers. Thank you jimmuh /s
so before this there were no sanctions??
Come on Barack, are you THAT stupid too?
It didn't work for Jimma' Carter in an election year and it certainly "ain't" going to work for YOU either!
Is he also going to send a strongly worded letter?
The Republicans forced him, and Run Paul is deeply saddened.
I don’t know what’s smaller, obamas brains, or his cojones.
Uh, I thought Hussein was still in Hawaii. Did he and the First Fata$$ return?
Fill your gas tanks.
Fifth ‘graph.
What is of importance to me is that the recent saber rattling was meant to be intimidating. Given that the sanction was embedded in a defense appropriation, I would not think it could be vetoed.
But Iran rattled sabers to make the world rattle the Messiah.
What that means is that Iran keeps a close eye on our government and can find the sanction buried in a massive bill
Oops.
That’ll show ‘em!!
Yup I am going to fill everything up tomorrow. Might even to it tonight.
Pretty soon The One will have his very own “war for oil.”
Signed it with a crayon.
-——The bill, which passed with wide majorities in Congress, did reserve some wiggle room for Obama, granting him the power to grant 120-day waivers if he judges it to be in the national security interests of the United States.——
Hummm!!!
This Congress is the most feckless , gutless, craven, spineless bunch of spork weasels ever to exist....
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