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.