Wesley Clark: U.S. Is Letting Iran Export Oil to Keep Prices Down, Whether Israel Finishes Hamas in Rafah is ‘Real’ Issue

On Tuesday’s “CNN Newsroom,” CNN Military Analyst and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.) stated that American sanctions against Iran won’t be effective in part because “the United States really doesn’t want to seal off Iran’s oil exports” to keep oil prices from spiking, and the real issue is “will the United States really extend its nuclear guarantee to Israel, and will that be sufficient to keep Iran back from this ring of fire? That’s the question. And then, can Israel finish off Hamas in Rafah?”

Host John Vause asked, “The U.S. already has an arms ban on Iran, as well as an almost total economic embargo, companies doing business with Iran face sanctions, all imports from Iran are banned, there are heavy sanctions on Iranian financial institutions, almost a total ban on selling aircraft or reair parts to Iran. It’s already one of the most heavily-sanctioned countries in the world. But yet, it’s still firing missiles and drones and supplying arms to proxies like the Houthis. So, what will these extra sanctions actually achieve at this point?”

Clark answered, “Not clear. For one thing, the United States really doesn’t want to seal off Iran’s oil exports. We know where they’re coming out, through Dubai and Oman. And they’re being doctored up with chemicals and sometimes you can’t tell where it’s coming from, but the United States doesn’t want to face steeply rising oil prices. You cut off a million, a million-and-a-half barrels a day of oil on the global market, you’re going to have an impact on prices, and this is what the Americans don’t want. The other sanctions, unless you’re willing to sanction third-country parties who are dealing with Iran, you’re not going to be much more effective than you’ve been thusfar. … So, I don’t pose much hope for sanctions, but it’s a diplomatic measure. The real thing is, will the United States really extend its nuclear guarantee to Israel, and will that be sufficient to keep Iran back from this ring of fire? That’s the question. And then, can Israel finish off Hamas in Rafah?”

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