Iran and the EU - A story of moot points

The European Union recently declared it will impose sanctions on Iran... in ten months... pointedly to let both European refineries find new suppliers of crude... and let Iran find new buyers for its crude... so oil prices would not fluctuate.

If you were annoyed by my repeated use of aposiopesis, my thoughts keep falling short when tasked with finding a point to what the EU is doing. If the EU wishes to defund the Iranian nuclear program, then the EU should accept some consequences to unilateral actions. Instead, Iran will turn to China and China will get cheaper oil, improving its own economy and ability to compete against made in EU and made in the US products. Iran gains closer relations to a nuclear power who doesn't dance to the west's beat.

Great job EU.

Iran fires a missile (again)

CNN reports Iran test fired missiles in the strait of Hormuz on Monday during naval exercises, to which the world has responded to by condemning Iran for threatening to close the international passage that supplies the west with oil, a strategic resource which drives the economies that provide the resources that support the west's capacity for war. Smart move Iran, except for the fact you reported on your own news network you have no intention of closing the water way.

You heard me correctly. Iran is huffing and puffing, but he will not blow our door down.

While I agree with the strategy as legal in war time, I also see the act as closing the strait as an act of war and starting a war is an illegal act for any nation. While my American audience will feel morally at ease about war with Iran, please keep in mind sanctions on Iran are a prelude to war and the U.S. is quite aware of this. If the U.S. wants to start a fight with Iran, it knows exactly what it has to do. If you think of the U.S. and Iran as two kids bickering in the back seat of a car you are driving, the U.S. is keeping a pointed finger an inch from touching Iran and taunting 'Not touching, not touching!'

So the ethical dilemma the United States is faced with is what tool can it use to negotiate Iran way from a legal civil nuclear program to ensure Iran isn't pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Sanctions will right now lead to war. Pride will always keep the U.S. from humbling itself and forming a close tie with Iran within Iran's program. Is war ethical if humble diplomacy can keep the peace?

More important to me is how will this affect the development of human civilization as we reach for the stars. We are a type zero civilization who has yet to survive the transition to type one. How the world handles this crisis will affect how we handle this kind of situation in the future and have a say in how often we go to war. We also will give a bad first impression during our first contact with aliens who may decide to be our judge and jury.

I think the world should cry out, no against Iran at the moment, but against the world itself for how we are handling the very real crisis of Iran with nuclear weapons.

When all roads lead to Rome: War and Sanctions

The U.S. has ruled out military strikes to stop Iran's nuclear program, favoring economic sanctions, which Iran has declared an act or war if implemented. Iran has recently promised to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, an important passage for oil tankers in the middle east.
This puts the U.S. in a back position. If they do anything to block Iran's path, Iran will pull the U.S. into an even more expensive war in the middle east. While the Iranian economic situation is fragile, the U.S. situation is not healthy either and can be worsened by fluctuating oil prices. What Iran and the U.S. have entered into is similar to the situation the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. created during the cold war. I am referring to the MAD plan.
If the United States issues sanctions, Iran will declare war, oil will stop flowing through the Hormuz for a while and oil prices will create havoc around the world. No body wins if the U.S. and Iran goes to war and by extention, no body wins if the U.S. issues new economic sanctions against Iran.
There for, it is wrong for the U.S. to use sanctions to meet its end goal of an Iran without nuclear weapons, nuclear break out capabilities or a civilian nuclear program.
That is all for today, thanks for reading.