Leading Plastic and Chemical Producer Leaving Iran

LyondellBassell Industries has announced plans to leave Iran amid fears of looming penalties for international companies conducting business inside Iran after the latest round of sanctions.  This move will be widely viewed as an economic setback for the Iranian regime.  More troubling for the Mullahs, LyondellBassell Industries may have set a precedent for further business departures from Iran.  The Obama Administration is reviewing and punishing a list of international businesses that may be violating sanction laws regarding Iran.

This brings us back to the peculiar notion that we put forth last week in a video profile.  Are sanctions against Iran actually working?  Iran, for its part, is bracing for the worst.   With the rumors of an eminent Israeli attack swirling, Iran scrambling to survive strict sanctions, and the opening of the controversial Russian-backed Bushehr nuclear plant it appears we are nearing critical mass.  The next few months may define the future of Iran.

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