A prime example of US foreign policy being influenced by Jerusalem is the unwillingness of the current US regime, dominated by pro-Zionists, to engage Iran in direct negotiations over its stubborn insistence on uranium enrichment. US intelligence concluded in the latest national intelligence estimate on the subject (2003), that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program. Still, UN nuclear energy experts have concluded that Iran is not coming clean about its program and is withholding critical information that would allow the IAEA to determine whether Iran is attempting to create a nuclear arsenal. A restricted report leaked to the American press said Iran has not disclosed full information about its work on high explosive testing, missile design work, and studies of uranium hexafluoride, used in gas centrifuges to make enriched uranium. When Javier Solano, EU foreign minister, made recent diplomatic overtures in Tehran offering technical assistance to develop light water civilian reactors and trade opportunities, US envoys were not present in the "sextet". In fact the Charlatan engaged in unhelpful rhetoric during the visit, similar in tone to the rhetoric issued by Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He also revealed information about the Israeli attack on a Syrian installation believed by the Israelis to be nuclear related in order to apply pressure on Iran and North Korea. The lack of progress in altering Iran's current enrichment policy is making Israeli leaders very nervous. The Israeli military recently conducted a joint air force-navy long range strike exercise in the Mediterranean. The exercise covered a similar distance to possible targets in Iran.
Some observers believe that Iran's policies are essentially defensive given the presence of western forces on both sides of the country and a fully developed nuclear arsenal in the hands of its traditional enemy, Israel. Faced with a negative response from Tehran on their latest carrots and hard line US pressure, European leaders agreed on Monday to impose new sanctions. The measures will force Bank Melli, Iran's largest bank, to cease operations at its offices in London, Hamburg and Paris. The bank is involved in a large number of business deals between Europe and Iran. According to Deutsch-Welle implementation of the sanctions was delayed while Solano engaged in diplomacy. EU leaders still express interest in resolving the nuclear proliferation impasse with Iran. However, the western diplomatic chorus is missing a lead singer and it will have to wait until after his November debut in the US. Hopefully he will not be singing, "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran".