Obama Searching For Coherent Strategy on Iran

The White House over the weekend walked back an earlier announcement that it will seek to impose new sanctions on Iran over that country’s recent ballistic-missile tests, despite universal agreement that the tests violated UN resolutions, saying it needs more time to decide what steps to take. Meanwhile, a diplomatic row has erupted between Iran and neighboring Saudi Arabia after the latter executed a prominent Shi’ite cleric, prompting an angry mob in Teheran to storm the Saudi embassy there. Saudi Arabia promptly announced it is cutting diplomatic relations with Iran, closing its embassy in Teheran and expelling Iranian diplomats. Allies of the two Middle East powers lined up to support either side as the Obama Administration issued a plea for “dialogue” to diffuse tensions.