When US President George W. Bush made what will likely be his last visit to Europe for the EU-US Summit two weeks ago, Iran was one of the only points both sides could still sink their teeth into. While Europe and the US have had diametrically opposed methods of dealing with the country, with the EU pushing for diplomatic discourse and the US teetering on the brink of military action, the European Union enhanced its foreign policy clout earlier in the week by stepping up sanctions against Iran.
The sanctions include a freeze on the assets of one of the country's largest banks suspected to be a major sources of the funding for Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In addition, the 27-member bloc announced it would curtail deny access to its territory to “experts” associated with the country's suspected nuclear program and restrict financial flows to Iranian companies linked to activities that could support the development of a nuclear weapons arsenal.
