US wants to cut Iran off from the world - but there's one problem

The US has expanded sanctions on Iran and threatened countries that continue to trade with it. Danny Citrinowicz from INSS analyzes the move and estimates that the Americans will struggle to enforce the sanctions against Turkey and China. According to him, the sanctions will hurt Iran but will not lead to surrender or imminent collapse, and the American goal is unclear.

The US has expanded sanctions on Iran and also threatened countries that continue to trade with it. Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at INSS, analyzes the move in an interview with 103FM. According to him, the central question is whether the US will be willing to act against countries that provide Iran with economic lifelines. He finds it hard to see the Americans cutting Turkey off from the dollar, and the Chinese have already said they have no intention of complying. Citrinowicz estimates that the sanctions will hurt Iran, but the Iranians will not blink. The exchange rate is eroding, inflation is high, and there is a rise in basic commodity prices, but this does not indicate imminent collapse. The researcher argues that even the overarching goal of the move is unclear – it is not clear whether Washington seeks a change in behavior or regime change.