Unintended Consequences Of Sanctions

by Chris Bodenner

NIAC's Michelle Moghtader Masoud Shafaee explains:

Two of Iran’s most notable dissidents, Akbar Ganji, a former Revolutionary Guard member who exposed the state-sanctioned Chain Murders of the 1990s, and Shirin Ebadi, the head of a civil and human rights legal practice awarded the Noble Peace Prize, have both come out strongly against any new sanctions. They, along with many in the reform movement, argue that sanctions only harm the Iranian people while strengthening the regime.

A recent slew of airplane crashes in Iran this summer serves as a useful example. Because of U.S. sanctions, both U.S. and European airline manufacturers are prohibited from selling new planes or replacement parts to the Islamic Republic. Many within Iran consider the deaths resulting from the poor state of the country’s air fleet to be a direct consequence of the sanctions.

(Hat tip: NIAC)