The Point of Sanctions Against Iran is not to Lift Them

כ"ב לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ד

Arutz 7: US Officially Approves Waiver to Lift Sanctions on Iran

President Obama

It's official: the US approves waiver of select sanctions in Iran, claims Iran has begun curbing nuclear program.

Tova Dvorin, January 21, 2014

It's official: the US has approved a waiver Monday to lift some sanctions on Iran, claiming that the Islamic Republic has taken measures to curb its nuclear weapons program.

"Iran has begun to take concrete and verifiable steps to halt its nuclear program," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, quoted by AFP. She added that it was "an unprecedented opportunity" to resolve global concerns over the program.

Secretary Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry has approved the waiver to lift sanctions, and it will be sent to Congress later Monday, according to Psaki.

White House spokesman Jay Carney hailed Iran's actions as "an important step forward."

"These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program, and roll it back in key respects," he said in a statement.

"Iran has also begun to provide the IAEA with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA."

The approval comes just hours after the European Union (EU) reportedly began lifting sanctions as well, after the UN's atomic watchdog confirmed that Tehran had halted production of 20 percent enriched uranium in line with the interim deal reached between Iran and world powers in November.

PM Netanyahu

Earlier Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed not to let Iran become a nuclear power, warning that an interim deal would have no effect on the Islamic state's intent to destroy Israel.

"The interim agreement which went into force today does not prevent Iran from realizing its intention to develop nuclear weapons," Netanyahu stated on the Knesset plenum. "This objective is still before us."

Netanyahu compared Iran's bid for a nuclear weapon to a train which needed to pass three stops en route to building a military capacity: enriching uranium to 3.5 percent, enriching to 20 percent and a "final stop" of enriching to 90 percent.

Image Credit: Positively Republican

"The Geneva Agreement cancelled the 20 percent stop but left the train on the track... so that one day, Iran will be able to rush forward to the final stop, on an express track, without slowing down for the interim stops," he said. "In a permanent agreement, the international community must get the Iranian nuclear train of the track."

"Iran must never get the ability to build an atomic bomb."

Maariv reported earlier this week that Netanyahu has been trying to prevent the deal from going through by any means necessary, using intelligence officials to search for possible breaches in the agreement.

While those reports remain unconfirmed, another possibility remains: a military strike. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon hinted in a Politico article Sunday that Israel may resort to a strike if necessary, citing earlier examples of Israeli military action without US approval.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

The Iranian threat to Israel
(Click to enlarge)

Is there really anything more than this map which needs to be presented?

This piecemeal placement and lifting of sanctions is not the integral schedule of positive reinforcement the West thinks that it is. Rather, it is just a bunch of bologna.

Just like Hamas and Hezbollah, both Iran's military and Jew-hatred do push-ups during sanctions. So, what if some of their own people have to starve or freeze? The destruction of Israel, and the spread of Shi'a Islam is much more important.

Lifting the sanctions will only make the Iranian Government's "HA-HA!" much louder, and a missile fired into Israel much sooner. (May God Forbid!)

And as the saying goes, "One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day."

Israel is one nuclear missile away from having a very, very bad day.

Sarcasm aside, I am honestly not so certain that the West knows just how ruined a day,...and an entire country, can get.

Disappointing, to say the least.