Interesting comments, and a policy proposal, from Barack Obama to Haaretz:

Obama’s Iran Sanctions Enabling Act would require the federal government to publish a list of companies, to be updated every six months, with investments exceeding $20 million in Iran’s energy sector. A similar House bill is sponsored by Reps. Barney Frank and Tom Lantos, with one crucial difference: Obama’s bill cannot be rescinded until the Iranian government President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s calls for the destruction of Israel.

I think that must be a typo – I presume he (or the paper) means that it cannot be rescinded until Ahmadineijad withdraws his call for the destruction of Israel.

The law would provide investors with critical knowledge and authorize local governments to divest pension funds or other funds from companies on the list. It would also protect fund managers from lawsuits filed by disgruntled investors.

Here’s a bit of a head-scratcher: Why not just impose U.S. sanctions, i.e., companies that do business with Iran can’t do business here in the U.S.? (And no subsidiaries, shell companies, etc.)

And another question – if you’re careful to keep your investment at, say, $19.9 million, you never end up on the list?