Q&A
Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran
Despite Iran’s rhetoric, it is highly unlikely that the Ahmadinejad regime will close the Strait of Hormuz given the economic ramifications such a move would inflict on Iran's own economy.
Published on Jan 25, 2012
Source: France 24
Speaking to France 24, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour explained that it is highly unlikely that Tehran will close the Strait of Hormuz. He contended that closing the Strait was akin to threatening to perform a suicide bomb attack. Eighty percent of Iran’s revenue emanates from oil that passes through the Strait and the move would likely infuriate China, which is Iran’s largest and most important export market. Yet even if Tehran is unlikely to close the Strait, Sadjadpour asserted they are also unlikely to abandon their nuclear program. “Despite the unprecedented nature of the international pressure on Iran,” said Sadjadpour, “it is highly unlikely that they will compromise. Khamenei has always believed that compromising shows weakness.”
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for NowQ&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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