Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

         The diplomatic efforts of the West to urge Tehran to abandon its nuclear efforts led to a fresh round of sanctions through the United Nations Security Council in June 2010, but only after the sanctions were watered down enough that veto-wielding members Russia and China would agree. Meanwhile, Iran has loaded its Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant with fuel and it's expected to become operational soon. Tehran has scoffed at the effectiveness of sanctions, and The New York Times revealed at the end of December that the Treasury Department had approved some 10,000 exceptions to sanctions over the past decade. But Israel is running out of patience and a new Republican House in Washington could put pressure on the White House to act.