Obama anti-Iran efforts include United Kingdom

The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on five Iranian individuals accused of plotting the assassination of Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, as the Obama administration continues lobbying allies to apply more pressure on the regime in Tehran.

The British Treasury announced it has frozen the local assets of the five suspects, action mirroring that of the United States after the Justice Department filed charges last week.

The Obama administration, which has been sharing details of the plot with allies, welcomed the announcement by the British government.

"This sends yet another message that the international community rejects this flagrant violation of international law," said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.

In a recent speech to the House of Commons last week, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said talks about additional sanctions against Iran are going on among the United States, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union.

Hague said the alleged assassination plot "would appear to constitute a major escalation in Iran's sponsorship of terrorism outside its borders."

"We are in close touch with the U.S. authorities and will work to agree an international response," Hague said.

Said Obama spokesman Vietor: "We work in lockstep with the UK on security issues, and have briefed them on the details of this plot. They made this decision on the merits of that information."

Iran's government has denied the allegations, accusing the U.S. of inventing the plot to foment opposition to their country.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said over the weekend that his government would produce "a decisive response" to any "inappropriate reaction" by the United States.

Over the last ten days, Obama has spoken with British Prime Minister David Cameron as well as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The president also spoke with the target of the assassination plot, Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia

New sanctions against Iran would also seek to dissuade them from acquiring means to make nuclear weapons.

The Washington Post reported this morning that Iran's nuclear program "appears beset by poorly performing equipment, shortages of parts and other woes as global sanctions exert a mounting toll, Western diplomats and nuclear experts say."

"Although Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium in defiance of U.N. resolutions, two new reports portray the country's nuclear program as riddled with problems as scientists struggle to keep older equipment working," the Post said.

Obama told reporters last week that his aides have shared details of the assassination plot with allies, and "we're going to continue to do is to apply the toughest sanctions and continue to mobilize the international community to make sure that Iran is further and further isolated and that it pays a price for this kind of behavior."

The U.S. has charged two men in connection with the plot: Manssor Arbabsiar, 56, a U.S. citizen who holds an Iranian passport; and Gholam Shakuri, an alleged member of Iran's elite Quds Force.

The American and British sanctions target three other alleged conspirators: Hamed Abdollahi, a senior Quds officer; and Abdul Reza Shahlai and Qasem Soleimani, Quds commanders accused of overseeing the plot.

In likening Iran last week to a current nuclear-armed nation -- North Korea -- Obama protested what he called "a willingness on their part to break international rules, to flout international norms, to not live up to their own commitments."

"And each time they do that," he added, "the United States will join with its partners and allies in making sure that they pay a price."

Source: USA TODAY