Last week, he said he is through cooperating with international weapons inspectors and wants the crippling economic sanctions on his country lifted.

However, if they don't agree to it, crippling sanctions, or even war, could follow.

The most immediate fear is that the country may face crippling sanctions, much like those imposed on Iraq in 1990.

He lived through the crippling economic sanctions that were imposed in 1991, after Iraq had invaded Kuwait, and maintained until the 2003 invasion.

He called for "crippling sanctions" to follow the report.

Calls for "crippling" sanctions on Iran by Obama and Brown are certainly not the most productive policy options available to these two world leaders.

But Western nations made Serbia pay a price for those victories: crippling economic sanctions.

Romney said he would be willing to take military action but favoured firstly imposing crippling sanctions.

The policy was widely criticised and led to crippling sanctions being placed against the country in the 1980s.

The time has come to impose crippling sanctions on this terrorist and nuclear-financing institution.