Dateline: Grand Hyatt Washington DC, 20 April 2005

Iran is not trying to shut itself out from the world. It can't afford to. India, China and the rest of developing Asia can't afford to bypass all that oil and gas. This is a match made in heaven, despite our concerns on WMD in Iran. We can either use that economic connectivity to our advantage or try to squash it, which will fail as a strategy. But Iran's not stupid. They know what their leverage is and they know the global marketplace favors them for some great length of time. If the US wants a transformed Middle East, we need to find a way to bring Iran into the fold somehow, taking into account their security desires straight up and not pretending that economic sanctions or carrots will seal any deal with the mullahs, even as economic connectivity woould strengthen the reformists in the government.

Here's the piece's first paras:

Facing Sanctions, Iran Uses Oil to Seek Allies By JAD MOUAWAD New York Times April 19, 2005

TEHRAN, Iran - As it faces the threat of global sanctions from the United States and Europe because of suspicions that it is turning its nuclear program to weapons production, Iran is fighting back with a powerful weapon of its own: its vast oil and gas resources.

Iran's ruling clerics are meticulously arranging energy sales and building partnerships with influential countries, including China and India, as a way to win stronger friendships around the world.

Here's the entire article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/19/business/worldbusiness/19tehran.html?th&emc=th