Stepped up economic measures against Iran "could
yet deal a knock-out blow to the country's development of long-range
ballistic missiles," a British think tank said in a report this month
(see GSN, July 13).
The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies pointed to U.S. and European measures authorized since December 2011, including an EU embargo on imports of Iranian oil that took effect this month, and U.N. Security Council sanctions dating to June 2010. The penalties were aimed at pushing Tehran to compromise on operations that Western nations fear are intended to produce a nuclear-weapon capability; Iran says its atomic program is aimed only at energy production and other peaceful ends.
"There is mounting evidence to suggest that, whereas the sanctions regime has not prevented Tehran from operating an increased number of centrifuges for uranium-enrichment activities or adding to its stockpile of fissile material, it has stymied efforts to develop and produce the long-range ballistic missiles capable of striking potential targets in western Europe and beyond," according to the IISS report. "If sanctions continue to disrupt Tehran's access to the key propellant ingredients and components needed to produce large solid-propellant rocket motors, Iranian attempts to develop and field long-range ballistic missiles could be significantly impeded, if not halted altogether."
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The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies pointed to U.S. and European measures authorized since December 2011, including an EU embargo on imports of Iranian oil that took effect this month, and U.N. Security Council sanctions dating to June 2010. The penalties were aimed at pushing Tehran to compromise on operations that Western nations fear are intended to produce a nuclear-weapon capability; Iran says its atomic program is aimed only at energy production and other peaceful ends.
"There is mounting evidence to suggest that, whereas the sanctions regime has not prevented Tehran from operating an increased number of centrifuges for uranium-enrichment activities or adding to its stockpile of fissile material, it has stymied efforts to develop and produce the long-range ballistic missiles capable of striking potential targets in western Europe and beyond," according to the IISS report. "If sanctions continue to disrupt Tehran's access to the key propellant ingredients and components needed to produce large solid-propellant rocket motors, Iranian attempts to develop and field long-range ballistic missiles could be significantly impeded, if not halted altogether."
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