US SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC AND BEYOND

This article examines the extensive regime of US and international sanctions imposed on Iran, primarily aimed at curbing its nuclear program, and analyzes their implications for the Islamic Republic and the wider region. It details the evolution and increasing severity of the sanctions, which targeted Iran's crucial energy and financial sectors. The study assesses the impact of these sanctions on the Iranian economy, including their effects on inflation, unemployment, and the country's ability to export oil and access the global financial system. The research also explores the political implications within Iran, analyzing whether the sanctions were strengthening the hand of hardliners or creating pressure for a negotiated settlement. The paper then broadens its scope to consider the implications "beyond" Iran, such as the impact on global energy markets and the geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf. The analysis concludes that the sanctions were inflicting significant economic pain on Iran but their ultimate success in achieving their political objectives remained highly uncertain.

The international sanctions regime against Iran, led by the United States, was one of the most comprehensive and severe in modern history. This paper provides a detailed analysis of its multifaceted implications. The first part of the study is an in-depth examination of the economic impact on Iran. It documents how the sanctions, particularly those targeting Iran's Central Bank and its oil exports, created a severe economic crisis, leading to a currency collapse, hyperinflation, and a sharp decline in living standards for ordinary Iranians. The paper analyzes the Iranian government's response, including its efforts to develop a "resistance economy." The second part of the paper explores the political implications. It delves into the complex debate over whether the economic pressure was achieving its intended goal of forcing the Iranian leadership to compromise on its nuclear program, or whether it was, in fact, strengthening the position of hardliners by fueling a nationalist backlash against foreign pressure. The final section of the study looks at the broader, international consequences. It discusses the impact of the sanctions on global oil prices and the difficulties they created for other countries, like India and China, that were major importers of Iranian oil. The findings reveal a policy that was highly effective in inflicting economic damage but whose political outcomes were far more ambiguous and contested. The paper concludes that the sanctions had created a high-stakes standoff with profound and unpredictable consequences for both Iran and the stability of the Middle East.