News today from Teheran is that Iranian "protesters" have stormed the British Embassy in Iran as well as another British diplomatic compound in the northern part of that city. As of now, it is unknown if any of the British diplomats were injured in any way or if they were taken hostage a la the 1979 Iranian "protest" against America. Police and government forces stood by and watched as the embassy was stormed. The attack on the British embassy was supposedly in response to the sanctions placed on Iran by the UK about a week ago in connection with stopping the Iranian nuclear program. The UK banned all British financial institutions from doing business with their Iranian counterparts, including the Central Bank of Iran. Since London is one of the world's largest financial hubs, these sanctions really hurt.
Let's hope that none of the British diplomatic personnel were harmed and that all leave the country safely in the next few days. Let's also hope that should the Brits decide to retaliate against the mullahs, president Obama has the sense to back our long term ally. Indeed, since it is clear that the sanctions imposed by the Brits were enough to result in such a major upset in Teheran, it should also clue in Obama that America should follow suit with its own sanctions. New York is the most important financial center in the world. If institutions doing business with Teheran were to be banned from transacting business in the USA or with American companies, it would be a blow against Iran unlike all of the weak sanctions of the past. Since even the UN now confirms that Iran is developing nukes, it is time for the USA to act in concert with our allies to isolate Iran.
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