America is rallying its friends to concentrate minds in the Islamic Republic

SURELY it is clear by now, many people feel, that Iran would rather go on enriching uranium than talk to America or anyone else about its suspect nuclear activities. If efforts to tempt it round have failed, could a tight economic squeeze lead the regime to think again about the costs of its defiance?

A new sanctions resolution will soon be up for discussion at the United Nations Security Council. But suppose the UN cannot get Iran to halt its work to process uranium and plutonium—for use in as yet unbuilt civilian nuclear-power reactors, Iran says, though others suspect they are for bomb-building. In that case, a lot more governments may have to be induced to impose eye-watering economic pain so as to get the regime’s attention. …