Sanctions Target Iran's Central Bank

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In The Media

Sanctions Target Iran's Central Bank

Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran’s central bank that could drive the Iranian regime to choose between making meaningful compromises on its nuclear program or making the push to cross the nuclear finish line.

By Karim Sadjadpour

Published on Jan 3, 2012

Source: NPR's Morning Edition

Speaking on NPR's Morning Edition, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour explained that the sanctions recently imposed by Washington on Iran’s central bank are the most draconian since the 1979 revolution and “will make it difficult to do business in Iran.” These sanctions allow President Obama wide flexibility in determining who will be punished for doing business in Iran. Europe, South Korea, and Japan comprise roughly 40 percent of Iranian petroleum exports and their cooperation with the new sanctions could cripple the Iranian economy, Sadjadpour said.

The United States is hoping the return of Libyan oil and increased production from Saudi Arabia and Iraq will mitigate any potential effect the sanctions could have on the global oil market, Sadjadpour added. Ultimately, “the question remains whether these sanctions will foster meaningful compromises from Iran regarding its nuclear program or drive the regime to cross the nuclear finish line,” concluded Sadjadpour.

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.

Recent Work

Q&A
What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
Q&A
How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next Steps
- Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour

Political Reform Economy Foreign Policy United States Middle East Iran

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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