English 中文网 漫画网 爱新闻iNews 翻译论坛
中国网站品牌栏目(频道)
当前位置: Language Tips > Normal Speed News VOA常速

EU oil embargo on Iran goes into effect Sunday

[ 2012-06-29 17:43]     字号 [] [] []  
免费订阅30天China Daily双语新闻手机报:移动用户编辑短信CD至106580009009

European Union sanctions on Iran's oil industry go into full effect on Sunday, adding to the pressure on Iranian leaders to negotiate a settlement of the international concerns about their nuclear program.

The world runs on oil, much of it transported on ships like this from countries in the Middle East, including Iran. But the European Union has all but stopped its imports from Iran, and the flow will stop completely by Sunday.

The move was expected to be costly, resulting in an increase in the price of oil. Instead, the price has dropped by 20 percent since April.

Leo Drollas of London's Center for Global Energy Studies explains why: "What has happened is that Libyan production is coming back, Saudi production has been increased, Nigerian production went up and Iraq has also increased output. And the net increase has been half a million barrels a day."

No need for Iran's oil

Drollas says the world has so much oil that it doesn't need Iran's output. And Iran's rival Saudi Arabia appears eager to keep it that way.

That is bad news for Iran, where international sanctions have caused a 20 percent inflation rate, with food prices rising more than twice that fast.

Now, the situation will only get worse, according to Iran expert Mark Fitzpatrick at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"More sanctions will be imposed on the Iranian economy, not just the ones that have already been agreed, that fall due on July 1st, but more on top of that. It won't be a pleasant place to live, in Iran, in the months to come," he said.

Fitzpatrick believes the sanctions will get worse because negotiations to curb Iran's nuclear fuel enrichment program appear to be in trouble. Recent talks in Moscow produced no move toward compromise. Iran says its program is for peaceful uses but foreign experts say it could easily lead to the production of a nuclear bomb.

Resilient economy

Still, Fitzpatrick says Iran's economy is strong enough to withstand the pressure of sanctions at least for a little longer.

"It won't fall to its knees immediately," he said. "But the pressure on the Iranian consumers, is only going to get worse. And what for? What is the purpose of all this pain? So that Iran can have an enrichment program to produce a nuclear weapon in the future, that if they ever took that step the United States will go to war against Iran? It doesn't make any sense."

Fitzpatrick does not expect military action as long as negotiations continue. But later this year, if talks fail, he says Israel could attack Iran's nuclear facilities, and that could trigger a wider war.

Related stories:

Putin's Israeli visit to focus on Iran

Iran mulls venues for nuclear talks

Obama seeks to calm Iran fears

Iran denies nuke activity at military site

(来源:VOA 编辑:旭燕)

 
中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883631联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。
 

关注和订阅

人气排行

翻译服务

中国日报网翻译工作室

我们提供:媒体、文化、财经法律等专业领域的中英互译服务
电话:010-84883468
邮件:translate@chinadaily.com.cn