(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
 

BY NICK ADAMS


President Obama is looking to imposing tougher sanctions on Iran--
That’s after evidence suggested the nation was involved in an alleged assassination attempt of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S.  
KSAZ says the president isn’t going to take it easy on Iran.  

“President Obama says Iran is going to pay a price for its involvement in a plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. The President says the county must be held accountable for its involvement with a terrorist plot.”

The administration is considering ways to hit the Iranian economy. KCPQ reports -- the idea on the table now is taking fiscal sanctions against the Bank of Iran.

“The Obama Administration says it is actively considering sanctions against the bank for the alleged terror plot by the Iran government. The U.S. Treasury Department says it might make the move if other countries could be persuaded to do the same.”

But are tougher sanctions the right answer? Waleed Pharis, a Middle East terrorism analyst, suggests other possible tactics on Fox News.

“Most importantly, is that the game changer in Iran isn’t going to be additional sanctions that are needed, but the game changer is going to be to partner with the opposition. To create conditions for an Iranian Spring -- that’s the long term effort we need to have.”

But with all the talk about punishment, the question remains -- was the Iranian government really involved in the plot? President Obama says he has enough evidence. But the head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission says it’s a baseless accusation. Fars News Agency has his comments.

“Given the chaotic conditions and the Wall Street protests in the US... they (US authorities) badly needed to create a false atmosphere to change the climate and divert the public opinion in the US and the international community.”

Add to that -- a Persian Gulf analyst tells Al-Jazeera, it simply doesn’t make sense for Iran to be involved.

“The history of doing it by blowing up a restaurant in Washington doesn’t fit because that could invite, theoretically from the Iranian standpoint, U.S. military retaliation which the Supreme Leader clearly doesn’t want.”

A scholar at Columbia University’s Middle East Institute writes on his blog-- Iran has plenty of reasons to be upset at the U.S. and Saudi Arabia -- but Iran has never done something like this before. He says the U.S. should be careful about retaliating.

“...at a minimum both the public and the Congress should demand more detailed evidence before taking any rash or irreversible action.”

Reuters reports if the U.S. has the proof of the alleged ‘murder plot,’ it can win over the support of the U.N. Security Council to push actions against Iran.