The newspapers are describing how the return of draconian sanctions is hurting the Iranian economy and the hard liners are gaining influence as a consequence. On the day D Trump took office the exchange rate was USD1 to Rials 35,000, today it's closer to 150,000. Sanctions are supposed to hurt, not cripple which lead to veiled threats via small, focused attacks with the implied threat of how it could escalate if governments don't show more respect. Leaders who are not particularly well educated sometimes need reminding of the old saying 'desperate countries go to war'. One might say that WWII was the consequence of sanctions applied at the Treaty of Versailles. There are 81 million Iranians, you can't go to war with a country that populous, remember the problems against a lightly populated Basra etc.. and you can't have a half war either. The problem from what I understand is the Iranians are frustrated the way they've been treated over many years compounded by their Sunni neighbours being happy to maintain the status quo. Iran sees itself as the natural leader in the Gulf, the Saudis don't like that and the US plays ball. So its no win. Sadly the solution will probably see Israeli planes go flatten a few nuke development sites to set them back another 10 years and the gradual lifting of sanctions once the physical threat dies away. I don't think that China is bold enough to support them... yet. So Saudi v's Iran, Sunni v's Shia with the US maintaining the status quo and Israel willing to play the role of Thomas 'the hitman' Hearns. You couldn't make it up....(Thumb)
