B级 The U.S. and Iran don't agree on much these days. But in their conflict over Iran's nuclear program, both seem willing to use oil as a political weapon. The U.S. believes that sanctions on Iran's energy exports might force Tehran to renounce its uranium-enrichment ambitions. Iran hopes its threats to withhold some of those exports will persuade the international community to back off. Some analysts argue that it is less dangerous for the U.S. to simply accept a nuclear Iran than to risk the damage that sharp Iranian production cuts---or Iranian retaliation against a U.S. or Israeli military strike--might do to U.S. interests. After all, Iran is unlikely to ever fire a nuclear missile, which could be expected to respond in kind. But the Bush administration fears that Iran might sell nuclear material to other states, and possibly to terrorist groups. It's also concerned that other Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, in particular) might feel compelled to go nuclear.