Hit Iran Where It Hurts Mark Dubowitz and Joshua D. Goodman: Despite its prominence as a major oil exporter, Iran has significant energy vulnerabilities. Due to limited refining capabilities, it depends on gasoline imports for 40% of its domestic consumption. Iran is, in fact, the second-largest importer of gasoline in the world, behind only the U.S. Iran's gasoline imports are vulnerable: Tehran relies primarily on five companies for its gasoline supplies: Vitol (Switzerland/Netherlands), Trafigura (Switzerland/Netherlands), Reliance Industries (India), Glencore (Switzerland) and Total (France). Washington and Ottawa should give these companies a choice between providing gasoline to Iran's relatively small domestic market and gaining access to North America.     Iran's gasoline suppliers have growing business interests in the U.S. and ! Canada: Reliance, for instance, receives taxpayer support from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, has opened a trading desk in Houston, and is looking to acquire fuel storage facilities along the East and Gulf coasts. Total operates in 29 states in the U.S. and, with its American business interests likely in mind, decided last year that the political risks were too great to justify continued investment in - though not trade with - Iran's energy sector. Mark Dubowitz is executive director and Joshua D. Goodman is director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. (National Post-Canada )

Iran, Syria Got Indirect U.S. Nuclear Aid - Siobhan Gorman (Wall Street Journal): Four countries designated by the U.S. as terrorism sponsors, including Iran and Syria, received $55 million from a U.S.-supported program promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy, according to a report by Congress' Government Accountability Office released Tuesday. Iran received more than $15 million from 1997 to 2007 under the International Atomic Energy Agency's Technical Cooperation program. An additional $14 million went to Syria, while Sudan and Cuba received more than $11 million each.

Obama Message to Iran Shows U.S. Strategy Shift - Gerald F. Seib: President Barack Obama's video message to Iran marking the Persian New Year last week spoke volumes about the strategy that lies behind his pledge to reach out to Tehran. When the Bush administration reached out to Iran, it sought consciously to go around its leaders and speak directly to the Iranian people, hoping to drive a wedge between the two. Obama's message began: "I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Because the president was talking to Iran's leaders, he was effectively saying the U.S. recognizes their legitimacy and isn't overtly seeking a regime change. The long search for Iranian "moderates" has proved so futile that the administration is prepared to deal with what it gets, not what it wishes it had. The message was designed to give the Iranians w! hat they always complain they don't get: respect. Twice Obama referred to Iran by the title its leaders use, the Islamic Republic of Iran. The deeper question is whether outreach has any real chance to make a difference. Privately, senior administration officials harbor real doubts. (Wall Street Journal)

Iran Can't Be Trusted - On Tuesday, the UN Security Council sanctions-monitoring committee rebuked Iran for trying to smuggle a vast shipload of arms to Syria in violation of at least five UN resolutions. The discovery of over 3,000 cases of high explosives, large-bore armor-piercing shells and anti-tank propellant proves Iran has no intention of ceasing its arms shipments to terror groups such as Hizbullah, using Syria as a conduit. Nor can it be trusted to honor its international agreements to forgo acquiring nuclear arms. This is not the first time Iran has been caught red-handed smuggling powerful weapons to terror groups it funds and trains. In January 2002, a Palestinian ship, the Karine A, was caught by the Israelis in the Red Sea crammed full of Iranian- and Russian-made weapons. All this establishes not only why Iran cannot be trusted (and why the U. S. a! nd other Western nations must closely monitor and constrain Iran's actions), but also why Israel is right to counteract threats to its security from places such as Gaza. (National Post-Canada)