AP

The US is reportedly seeking the support of African nations, including SA, as it heaps the pressure on Iran. With SA importing up to 25 percent of its oil from Iran, pressure from the world's superpower is no mere academic issue.

Neither is the wider concern that this week's decision by the EU to ban imports of Iranian oil from July has sparked renewed threats from Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

It makes even more perilous a confrontation that could yet lead to war, even before a Western attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

The impact of an EU embargo, given the global nature of the oil market, cannot be measured precisely. Beyond doubt, however, it will tighten the squeeze on Iran's economy, already in deepening trouble.

Washington has warned Tehran, both publicly and through private channels, that any closure of the Strait, through which 20 percent of the world's crude oil supplies are shipped, would cross a "red line" - meaning the US and its allies would use force if necessary to keep them open.

Nor are matters helped by the baying for military action from Republican candidates on the 2012 campaign trail. President Barack Obama has thus far played a difficult hand with impressive steadiness.

Early in his term, he offered direct talks without preconditions (which Tehran turned down) and has resisted demands for a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear installations. All the while, he has steadily intensified US sanctions.

But, in an election year, the pressure on Obama to be "tough on Iran" will only grow. As tensions increase, it is vital to remember that the West's goal must be to bring Iran not to the battlefield, but the negotiating table over nuclear weapons.

In short, the time for a deal has not yet run out. Nor must the desire of wise heads for a negotiated settlement. The ghosts of the Iraq war should ensure that.