Is Iran’s Economy Sliding?

by Djavad Salehi-Isfahani Last April, in a column for this blog I predicted that sanctions are very unlikely to force Iran to renegotiate the multilateral nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In particular, I argued that… Continue Reading

How “Maximum Pressure” Can Yield Economic Prosperity for Iran

by Karim Sharara “People talk about smart sanctions and crippling sanctions. I’ve never seen smart sanctions, and crippling sanctions cripple everyone, including innocent civilians, and make the government more popular.” – Mohammad al-Baradei, former Director General of the IAEA. All… Continue Reading

The Unimportance of New Oil Sanctions

by Djavad Salehi-Isfahani The decision by the Trump administration not to renew the temporary waivers that had allowed eight countries to continue to import Iranian oil will further reduce Iranian oil sales and worsen Iran’s already difficult economic situation. But… Continue Reading

Iran’s Economic Populism: Antidote to U.S. Pressure

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi Exactly 30 years ago, I wrote a dissertation of over 500 pages on state and populism in Iran that ended with a chapter on “permanent populism.” This concept draws together various strands: the pattern of post-revolutionary… Continue Reading