Return of Sanctions; Who is the Target?

On Monday, August 6, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, ordered the return of sanctions against Iran. According to this order, sanctions will be applied to Iran's automotive industry, trade in gold and precious metals, the Iranian government's access to foreign financial facilities, trade in commercial aircraft and their parts and services, and the import of Iranian carpets and food products (such as pistachios) into the United States, as well as sanctions regarding the Iranian rial. A new round of U.S. nuclear sanctions against Iran will come into effect on November 4. These sanctions will include Iran's energy sector, including sanctions related to oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals from Iran, activities related to Iranian ports, and sectors related to maritime transport and shipbuilding, as well as transactions by foreign financial institutions with Iran's central bank and the provision of insurance services for transactions with Iran. In response to these sanctions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that the U.S. would regret this action. He also deemed the simultaneous imposition of sanctions and Trump's request for negotiations as meaningless. The imposition of sanctions against Iran has faced various reactions. The European Union has expressed deep concern over the return of sanctions, while Israel, a serious critic of the JCPOA, welcomed the U.S. action. This week's program has raised the question of whether the return of sanctions against Iran will impact the people more than the Islamic Republic government. The discussion features Reza Taghizadeh, a political analyst in the UK, and Holly Dagres, an analyst on Iranian issues in the Middle East.