In defiance of the Obama administration, the Senate unanimously passed economic sanctions against Iran on Thursday night—while several other Western nations followed suit. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and other officials had warned that sanctions could raise oil prices without discouraging Iran's nuclear program. The amendment, which still needs House approval, would prevent organizations that do business with Iran's central bank from holding accounts in the U.S. The European Union, meanwhile, banned an additional 180 individuals and companies from travel to member states. Britain and France called for an embargo on Iranian purchases. The sanctions are in response to the ransacking of the British Embassy by an Iranian mob, apparently aligned with a government-controlled militia.
