March 9, 2021: The government denied any connection with a bombing that occurred January 29 th near the Israeli embassy in Delhi (the Indian capital). Iran has been using this denial tactic for decades. In the case of the Delhi bombing Iran may well have not been directly responsible, but the denial was seen as normal for Iran. These denials are still effective at slowing down sanctions or designation as an international terrorist. What Iran is admitting or claiming is progress in developing nuclear weapons. The purpose of all these attacks and threats is to persuade Western nations to lift sanctions on Iran. Iran appears confident that this is working because they are illegally exporting more oil to India and China. This is risky because the tankers carrying these shipments can be intercepted and seized. As soon as the new American government took power in January, Iran told current and past customers for discounted smuggled oil that Iranian oil would be more easily available in 2021, either free of sanctions or less vigorously enforced sanctions. Iran was betting that the new U.S. government would ease off on the oil export sanctions. So far this has not happened but the Iranian leaders insist it will happen and soon.