Jaime Ponce S.

Guerrero 11/21/2023
PSC31 C-PSCM315

The Impact of International Economic Sanctions on Iran: A Case Study

Explore the consequences of international economic sanctions imposed on Iran during the
period from the early 2000s to the present. Begin by summarizing the primary motivations for
imposing these sanctions, which chiefly revolved around international concerns regarding Iran's
nuclear program.

Assess the effectiveness of imposing these economic sanctions in achieving diplomatic goals.
Highlight the consequences for the Iranian economy and society. You may also touch upon
ethical considerations. Keep your essay concise, limited to three paragraphs only. Good luck!

Delving into the realm of international relations and how this field concentrates on
elucidating the behavior and interaction between sovereign states within a diplomatic and
political landscape, this type of field cements itself to be the keystone for countries to adhere to
shaping the political, economic, and social facets among nations. With the given nature and
scope that international relations have, one of its prime processes that reach the global scale
includes conflict resolution and diplomacy between countries, which is said to be crucial for the
peaceful management of disputes between nations, composing a myriad of strategies such as
the involvement of neutral parties and international organizations in order to impose or create
binding mechanisms for resolving conflicts. As the concept of international relations tends to
expand globally across continents through well-known international organizations, the
utilization of critical elements, such as sanctions, was observed and even studied, especially in
the palatinate of politics. In the present century, international sanctions can be used to
vigorously modify states' behavior, especially those threatening to jeopardize international
peace and security. In the case of Iran, a country whose received several sanctions from the
United States (U.S.), the United Nations (U.N.) and the European Union (E.U.), serves as a prime
testimony of the complex interaction of the diplomacy and peace-making measures by nations
and organizations alike.

For context, Iran, a country located in the Middle East and is also the second most populated in
that region, was sanctioned by various hegemons for failing to abide by treaty obligations,
notably the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which was ventured way back in 1967. This specific
treaty marked Iran giving consent to not becoming a nuclear-armed state. The treaty was then
augmented with consented inspections through the IAEA Safeguards Agreement. However, the
policies of pro-western monarchist Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi raised the notion of Iran
having nuclear ambition. Not to mention, this happened during the heat of the Iranian
Revolution, which once again entangled several nuclear scares, goading the United States to
mediate and cease nations involved from providing further potential harm through sanctions.
Fast forward to the year 2000s, the country of Iran was once again subjected to sanctions and
condemnation, this time by the United Nations, the E.U., and the U.S. government for attesting
to nuclear activity. Starting from the United States, sanctions focus on isolating Iran from their
international financial system, restricting Iran's mobility from their own energy sector,
prohibiting trade in most firms, and freezing assets. As for the European Union, albeit being
analogous to the U.S., sanctions for violating human rights and nuclear agreements were
imposed. Meanwhile, the United Nations imposed measures of trade embargo on materials and
technology used in nuclear activity as well as prohibiting financial transactions, especially on
materials that propound Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The aforementioned imposed sanctions and restrictions by these significant organizations and
nations were brought by the actions of Iran. These serve as the consequences for Iran's constant
violations of its signed treaties, and the scares may result in the vaporization of countless lives
and environmental repercussions as well, potentially creating a massive global uproar. If I were
to speak on the effectiveness of the imposition of sanctions on Iran, considering how Iran is
currently feeling the sanctions imposed by the known hegemons in the global society, I would
say that those who proceeded to foist several sanctions were triumphant in their aim to control
Iran. In detailing the effects of international sanctions on the Iranian economy, the sanctions
gave a massive cut to Iran's daily exportation of oil, with them struggling to export even a
fraction of their usual 2.5 million barrels per day. If we scrutinize Iran's Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), we can observe that it took a tremendous dip, losing at least 6% for three consecutive
years. Their massive loss in production and trade opportunities created a domino effect that
prompted Iran to arrange several budget cuts, with their military as the most suffering sector.
Now, in terms of how it impacted Iranian society, Iran's malign actions brought it upon
themselves, which is terribly unfortunate from the perspective of the innocent civilians residing.
There were even several reports where the Iranian regime made two arguments: sanctions are
worthless and inefficient, or, in the alternative, when sanctions are effective, they hurt only the
Iranian people and not the regime; either way, they should be removed. However, for as long as
these propagandistic ambitions emanate from the Iranian government, talks for lifting these
sanctions will most likely not be entertained by these international actors.

References:

International Sanctions. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación. (n.d.).

https://www.exteriores.gob.es/en/PoliticaExterior/Paginas/SancionesInternacionales.asp
x

Laub, Z. (2015, July 15). International Sanctions on Iran. Council on Foreign Relations.
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/international-sanctions-iran#chapter-title-0-7

Pompeo, M. R. (2020, December 1). The Importance of Sanctions on Iran. U.S. Department of
State. https://2017-2021.state.gov/the-importance-of-sanctions-on-iran/

Additional reading: https://sgp.fas.org/crs/mideast/RS20871.pdf