To the editor:

Reza Nasri and Seved Hossein Mousavian, former head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran's National Security Council, argue President Obama should assure European bankers that they will not be prosecuted should they violate sanctions on Iran which are separate from the nuclear issue.

Since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran has harassed American ships, taken American sailors hostage and solidified its role as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Yet Nasri and Mousavian sympathize with the "plight" of the leaders of the Islamic Republic, who feel the estimated $150 billion windfall and unraveling of the nuclear sanctions regime isn't enough of a reward for pretending they're not going to build a nuclear weapons arsenal in the next decade.

If some European bankers are reluctant to play footsie with the mad mullahs for fear of violating other sanctions, we should be thankful for small favors.

Sincerely,

Alan Stein