United Nations Security Council begins final Iran sanctions push
The United States began its final push for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, with a vote expected as early as Wednesday. As part of their efforts to gain the support of other Security Council members, U.S. officials have held classified intelligence briefings for foreign leaders to prove that Iran has restarted research on the components necessary to build a nuclear weapon. European and Americans sources expect the sanctions resolution to pass the Security Council handily, with only Turkey, Brazil, and Lebanon in the 15-country committee voting against them. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant note on the eve of the vote, saying that Iran would refuse to negotiate over its nuclear program if sanctions were imposed.
But even as the international community prepares another round of "smart" sanctions, a New York Times investigation details how adept the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has become at evading restrictions. The state-owned maritime shipping company has set up a series of shell companies, most of which are owned by high-ranking IRISL officials, to disguise the true ownership of its vessels. They have also given the vessels new names, making it a challenge for U.S. Treasury Department blacklists to keep up. This complex web of paperwork has allowed IRISL to avoid punishment after the United States tightened restrictions on the company in 2008.
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