How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare- By Narges Bajoghli, Vali Nasr, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, and Ali Vaez

Review by Alexandra Menter

The short:

Following over forty years of economic restraints and sanctions placed on Iran by the United States, authors Bajoghli, Nasr, Salehi-Isfahani, and Vaez ask a crucial question– “do sanctions work?”

The long:

Using Iran as a case study, the authors tackle the question of whether or not sanctions work using a variety of methods. This multidimensional methodology presents a more holistic picture of how US economic sanctions have impacted both Iranian civilians and Iran in the global political landscape. Historically, the US has applied sanctions to countries as a means to incentivize its population to resist an oppressive government or to weaken the power of an authoritarian ruling class. Unfortunately, the case of Iran demonstrates the opposite effect. In fact, the authors argue that the US engages in an unnecessary overreliance on sanctions in Iran. Not only have these sanctions not yielded results consistent with US policy goals in the region, Iran has become considerably more authoritarian and less democratic with each decade its population endures what much of the Iranian public sees as a crippling economic embargo imposed by the United States. Consequently, instead of resolving political disputes and bringing about lasting peace, sanctions have become a cause of war.

To read or not to read:

Read! I am new to learning about Iranian politics, and the impact of US sanctions. I found this book to be an excellent introduction to understanding how, when, and why sanctions are imposed by one country onto another, the strategic intent behind them, the reality of their impact on an afflicted country’s population, and their effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, as a tool of foreign policy.