strength is its currency. when barack obama became president, you could buy 9,700 rials with one dollar. since then the dollar has appreciated 60% against the rial, meaning this week you could buy 15,600 rials with one dollar. iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad told his parliament recently that the latest sanctions were the heaviest economic onslaught on a nation in history. the iranian government's reaction to the prospects of sanctions that could hit its oil exports shows its desperation. first one of its admirals threatened to block the strait of hormuz, saying it would be as easy as drinking a glass of water. but a senior commander of the revolutionary guard, iran's power source, quickly backtracked, explaining that iran has no intention of blocking the straits.