US l e g i s l a t i o n t o p e n a l i z e foreign companies i n v o l v e d i n the energy s e c t o r i n Iran, represents a c h a n g e i n the interaction between c o m m e r c i a l a n d p o l i t i c a l b o d i e s i n t h e G u l f region. United Nations sanctions are n o w b e i n g s u p p l e m e n t e d b y a u n i l a t e r a l i m p o s it i o n o f control from Washington, and t h a t h a s a n u m b e r o f i m p o r t a n t c o n s e q u e n c e s . It is not o u r place to d e b a t e the rights and w r o n g s of g o v e r n m e n t s in this magazine e x c e p t w h e r e it i m p i n g e s on the ability of c o m p a n i e s to t r a d e freely in p u m p s . T h e Guff is an i m p o r t a n t p u m p market, and p u m p manufacturers and distributors have to c o n s i d e r this situation w i t h care, as it is likely to interfere c o n s i d e r a b l y w i t h their trade. The US c o n t e n d s that it bears the b r u n t of responsibility for the s e c u r i t y of the Gulf r e g i o n and u n c o n t r o l l e d trade u n d e r m i n e s that security. F h o s e k e e n to trade in the region argue that the US is also seeking c o m m e r c i a l advantage by establishing increasing c o n t r o l over the Guff e n e r g y sector. One area w h e r e the US stance falls d o w n is that Iran will n o w turn increasingly to suppliers in China, e l s e w h e r e in Asia and in the f o r m e r Soviet Union. S u p p l i e r s that are d e s p e r a t e for hard c u r r e n c y and less c o n c e r n e d about or affected by W a s h i n g t o n ' s controlling efforts. W h i c h is great for suppliers in t h e s e circumstances. It is not so great for Iran's existing t r a d i n g p a r t n e r s o r for US m a n u f a c t u r e r s w h o m u s t be frustrated by their o w n governm e n t ' s embargo. Idealist that I am, I w o u l d have i m a g i n e d that the United Nations w o u l d h o l d the key. Either all act t o g e t h e r or n o -o n e acts. O t h e r w i s e one c o u n t r y ends up making political p o i n t s at the e x p e n s e of c o m m e r c i a l p r o s p e r i t y -a difficult d e c i s i o n to take for c o m p a n i e s in y o u r o w n country, let alone s o m e o n e else's!