A Well-Oiled Smuggling Machine

Iran smuggling oil to China in violation of sanctions, investigation suggests
An Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat escorts a passenger ship with oil tanker in background / AP

Iran is engaged in an elaborate oil smuggling scheme that enables it to skirt international sanctions as it transmits valuable crude oil to China, according to an investigation by an Iran watchdog group released last week.

Making Mullah Mobiles

Bailed-out GM owns stake in French car company with ties to Iran
Tehran, Iran / AP

A French car manufacturer that is partially owned by the taxpayer-funded General Motors Company (GM) claims to have ceased its longtime business dealings with Iran, though experts have cast doubts on this claim.

The Clock is Ticking

Economic sanctions alone cannot cripple Iranian nuclear program, experts say
Iranian President Ahmadinejad / AP

The recent collapse of Iran’s currency has led foreign policy experts to caution President Barack Obama’s administration against declaring that economic sanctions are the key to ending Tehran’s clandestine nuclear arms program.