Iran warns atomic opponents trade ties may suffer

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran threatened on Tuesday to use trade ties to punish countries that voted against it at the U.N. atomic watchdog, after Tehran failed to convince the world its nuclear ambitions were peaceful.

The news could prove to be a sharp blow to India and Japan, both looking to sate their voracious appetites for energy through deals with the world’s second biggest holder of oil and natural gas.
…….Analysts had predicted Iran could also roll out the oil weapon in a bid to prompt a change of heart among countries seeking to send Iran to the Security Council.

But such a move could backfire. Oil accounts for 80 percent of export earnings and interrupting that flow of hard cash would be politically risky.

Reuters