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Western sanctions on Iran - Nobody gives a shit!
Sanctions on Iran don't work because no one gives a shit. The "Western powers" are no longer powers, so they continue to shoot themselves in the foot with their supposedly fearsome sanctions to hurt Iran, and everyone else just looks for ways to bypass the sanctions without getting in too much trouble with the US. I know the hurt France and the UK, since Iran has cut them off:
Iran 'halts oil sales to France and Britain'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17089953
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17089953
And of course they hurt Western consumers with the higher than normal gas prices as a result of the sanctions.
But they don't seem to affect Iran or anyone else, though the higher prices help oil exporters and hurt importers. But there seems to be no shortage of countries willing to buy their oil. For starters the US exempted Japan and Europe from the sanctions:
U.S. exempts Europe, Japan from Iran sanctions
http://www.eenews.net/public/energywire/2012/03/21/1
Iran oil sales to European countries not halted: minister
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/19/208777.html
http://www.eenews.net/public/energywire/2012/03/21/1
Iran oil sales to European countries not halted: minister
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/19/208777.html
The sanctions are obviously quite inconvenient for Iran, but I don't think they really hurt because so many countries besides Japan and European countries want to buy their oil and electricity, especially at discount prices.
1. Oil sales.
a. As mentioned above, Europe and Japan are allowed to continue to buy Iranian oil.
b. Hiding sales. Iran seems to have found a way to sell all the oil they want by having their ships turn off their transponders so they can't be tracked. Their Asian clients do not talk about the sales by email, cell phones, etc. so the sales cannot be tracked.
Exclusive: Iran ships "off radar" as Tehran conceals oil sales
.....But cheap, covert sales may have curbed or even reversed the reduction in shipments, the sources say.
Discretion is paramount.
Ship captains steering NITC supertankers have switched off recognition systems and customers are keeping business strictly under wraps.
"People are being very secretive right now. They are not talking about this on email, Yahoo or mobile," said the head of a crude oil desk at a top oil trading houses.
A Reuters' survey of the Iranian fleet via the ship tracking system AIS (Automatic Identification System) Live shows only seven of its 25 very large crude carriers are still operating on-board transponders, allowing computers to track vessels.
Only two of NITC's nine smaller Suezmax size tankers now have their tracking systems in operation, shipping sources say.
"NITC oil tankers are going to operate in stealth mode," said a shipping official, who declined to be identified....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/13/us-iran-oil-tracking-idUSBRE83C0TS20120413
.....But cheap, covert sales may have curbed or even reversed the reduction in shipments, the sources say.
Discretion is paramount.
Ship captains steering NITC supertankers have switched off recognition systems and customers are keeping business strictly under wraps.
"People are being very secretive right now. They are not talking about this on email, Yahoo or mobile," said the head of a crude oil desk at a top oil trading houses.
A Reuters' survey of the Iranian fleet via the ship tracking system AIS (Automatic Identification System) Live shows only seven of its 25 very large crude carriers are still operating on-board transponders, allowing computers to track vessels.
Only two of NITC's nine smaller Suezmax size tankers now have their tracking systems in operation, shipping sources say.
"NITC oil tankers are going to operate in stealth mode," said a shipping official, who declined to be identified....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/13/us-iran-oil-tracking-idUSBRE83C0TS20120413
c. Asia. The sanctions seem to have little or no effect.
U.S. bid to crimp Iranian oil sales to Asia stumbles
Feb 15, 2012, 9:08 am
By Peter Enav, Associated Press
TAIPEI, Taiwan — American attempts to get major Asian importers of Iranian oil to rein in their purchases are faltering as allies South Korea and Japan give U.S. officials a polite brushoff. Emerging giants India and China may even increase their purchases, further complicating Washington's efforts to force Iran to curtail its nuclear program.
In 2011, Japan, South Korea, India and China accounted for 60 percent of Iran's oil sales, and the U.S. initiative — backed up by financial sanctions — is meant to dig away at the $100 billion in oil revenues Tehran earned last year.
.....Neither South Korea nor Japan appear willing to cut back their Iranian purchases by very much, and both China and India might actually step up their imports as Iran's increased isolation as a supplier forces it to lower prices.....
http://postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1486881
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/us-bid-to-slow-irans-oil-sales-to-asia-falters/498278
Feb 15, 2012, 9:08 am
By Peter Enav, Associated Press
TAIPEI, Taiwan — American attempts to get major Asian importers of Iranian oil to rein in their purchases are faltering as allies South Korea and Japan give U.S. officials a polite brushoff. Emerging giants India and China may even increase their purchases, further complicating Washington's efforts to force Iran to curtail its nuclear program.
In 2011, Japan, South Korea, India and China accounted for 60 percent of Iran's oil sales, and the U.S. initiative — backed up by financial sanctions — is meant to dig away at the $100 billion in oil revenues Tehran earned last year.
.....Neither South Korea nor Japan appear willing to cut back their Iranian purchases by very much, and both China and India might actually step up their imports as Iran's increased isolation as a supplier forces it to lower prices.....
http://postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1486881
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/us-bid-to-slow-irans-oil-sales-to-asia-falters/498278
2. Electricity exports.Iran has recently made big electricity export deals with Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Turkey.
Iran starts electricity exports to Iraq
On Line: 10 June 2012 16:53 In Print: Monday 11 June 2012
Abdolhamid Farzam, the Energy Ministry official in charge of foreign exchanges, said that Iran’s power exports to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Turkey have seen a major boost in the past two months.
The official stated that new power transfer lines and installations have become operational for exporting electricity to Iraq, raising Iran’s electricity exports to its western neighbor to 1,200 megawatts (MW).
Farzam added that electricity exports to Pakistan have been more than doubled in the same period, saying Iran’s capacity to export electricity to Pakistan has increased from 30 MW in winter to 70 MW right now.
He said Iran is exporting an average of 30 MW of electricity to Afghanistan, while power exports to Turkey have increased from 110 MW to more than 170 MW.
The official stated that Iran will increase its power export capacity to Turkey to 500 MW in the next few days.
On May 10, Iran’s Energy Ministry published a report saying that the country’s electricity exports to its neighboring countries have increased by more than 38 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year compared to the previous year.
The report added that Iran has exported a total of 1,347 gigawatts per hour (GW/h) of electricity to the neighboring countries during the aforementioned period, up by 38.57 percent compared to the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 19, 2012)......
http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/98624-iran-starts-electricity-exports-to-iraq
On Line: 10 June 2012 16:53 In Print: Monday 11 June 2012
Abdolhamid Farzam, the Energy Ministry official in charge of foreign exchanges, said that Iran’s power exports to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Turkey have seen a major boost in the past two months.
The official stated that new power transfer lines and installations have become operational for exporting electricity to Iraq, raising Iran’s electricity exports to its western neighbor to 1,200 megawatts (MW).
Farzam added that electricity exports to Pakistan have been more than doubled in the same period, saying Iran’s capacity to export electricity to Pakistan has increased from 30 MW in winter to 70 MW right now.
He said Iran is exporting an average of 30 MW of electricity to Afghanistan, while power exports to Turkey have increased from 110 MW to more than 170 MW.
The official stated that Iran will increase its power export capacity to Turkey to 500 MW in the next few days.
On May 10, Iran’s Energy Ministry published a report saying that the country’s electricity exports to its neighboring countries have increased by more than 38 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year compared to the previous year.
The report added that Iran has exported a total of 1,347 gigawatts per hour (GW/h) of electricity to the neighboring countries during the aforementioned period, up by 38.57 percent compared to the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 19, 2012)......
http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/98624-iran-starts-electricity-exports-to-iraq
3. Gas pipelines
a. Pipeline to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China
Iran to export gas to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China via new pipeline: EnvoyIran’s ambassador to Dushanbe says the Islamic Republic is planning to export gas to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China via a new pipeline.
"According to the agreement reached by the heads of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan in Dushanbe, a pipeline will be built running from Iran to Tajikistan through Afghanistan and further to Kyrgyzstan and China," Ali Asghar Sherdoust told Trend News Agency on Wednesday.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/235875.html
"According to the agreement reached by the heads of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan in Dushanbe, a pipeline will be built running from Iran to Tajikistan through Afghanistan and further to Kyrgyzstan and China," Ali Asghar Sherdoust told Trend News Agency on Wednesday.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/235875.html
b. Pipeline to Pakistan. Going ahead despite US and Western European pressure.
Pakistan defies U.S. on Iran gas pipeline
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/06/08/Pakistan-defies-US-on-Iran-gas-pipeline/UPI-17951339183321/
Pakistan seeks bids for Iran gas pipeline, despite US pressure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/pakistan-iran-pipeline-idUSL3E8FR4XL20120427
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/06/08/Pakistan-defies-US-on-Iran-gas-pipeline/UPI-17951339183321/
Pakistan seeks bids for Iran gas pipeline, despite US pressure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/pakistan-iran-pipeline-idUSL3E8FR4XL20120427
So oil, gas and electricity sales seems do be doing well. Even pistachio exports are holding up. What's the point? Nobody cares. And the US, France And the UK don't have the power and influence anymore to make anyone care.