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The Boston Globe

Opinion

juliette kayyem

The toughest sanctions

Shipping giant ceases business with Iran, isolating it from the world

Amid all the grandstanding about drawing a “red line” that Iran shouldn’t cross in its uranium enrichment program, a different kind of line may have just settled the issue. Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company, announced on Tuesday that it will cease all remaining business with Iran, for which it is the leading shipper of commercial and consumer goods. It is a development that has the potential to be both tragic and hopeful; if nothing else, it is indisputably significant. Maersk just closed off a major supply chain to Iran, making its isolation from the world almost complete.

There has been almost no acknowledgement, outside the transportation industry, of Maersk’s decision. But the company just admitted what must have been clearly visible from the ocean: Maersk ended all cargo shipments to the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr on Sept. 30, and started refusing all outbound cargo on Sept. 24.

Comments

Why is this information buried in the opinion section of the Globe? It's the most important story in this week's editions by far. Sactions are working and we probably won't need to bomb Iran is not important enough? It should have been the headline.

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Thanks. I am surprised how little play this has gotten.

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Too little too late!!!!!!! Obama was warned over three years ago to put the sanctions in-place IMMEDIATELY and instead he pushed the can down the road again!! Now it's too late! The sanctions are working but they will have the bomb before they fall! Israel will have to strike before the sanctions are done! If Obama had gotten off his donkey and gotten to work on this back when he was told to three years ago, Obama could have prevented this war!!!!!! Repeat that: Obama COULD HAVE prevented this war!! And Obama blew-it!!!!

Good article, Juliette.

Good grief some people can't simply say Great the embargo is getting tighter.  Can nothing be positive must it all be political.  Some commentors can't say hey maybe we don't have to go to war, the sanctions are working.  Nope, too little, too late, they say.  Are you kidding?  Let's hope it breaks the back of the regime.  That is unless some of you zealots feel like joining up and fighting the war you apparently want.

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Too little, too late!! Obama could have prevented this war if he had started the sanctions back when he was warned to over three years ago!!! He was warned they need years to work!!!!!! Now, war is virtually inevitable! Entirely preventable. And entirely Obama's own fault!