How the Latest US Sanctions Will Affect the Common Man in Iran
There has been increase in the level of anxiety amongst the citizens in Iran, following the imposition of US sanctions in Iran expected to go into force this week. Most Iranians expect a rise in overall prices as well as layoffs from their jobs. Majority are trying to stay positive amidst a major fall in the value of their currency and a possible economic chaos in Iran.
According to Zain Basravi, who reports for Al-Jazeera, the US sanctions hurt the common Iranian man, especially the low-income population who struggle to fend for their families as the prices of basic goods double. People find it hard to make their ends meet and end up cutting down on their basic expenditures on food and clothing. These sanctions, however hardly has much effect on the policies of the Iranian government, as much as it does on the common Iranian man.
The US government has pursued a policy of containment for decades when it comes to Iran which they achieve militarily, politically and economically, especially when it comes to their global as well as their regional affairs. Even after the lifting of the sanctions in 2015, following the nuclear deal, most Iranians saw that as a softer approach of the containment policy of the USA, rather than a complete relief. However, with the latest sanctions in place, Donald Trump has made it clear by reinforcing the sanctions again that there are no grey areas when it comes to ‘friends’ or ‘enemies’.
Donald Trump however, is most likely to be disappointed if he expects that these sanctions would encourage the Iranians to go against their governments or consider toppling their leaders. Even small protests in the past, never really got big enough or gained popularity. The only disruption that these sanctions achieved was to make the common man miserable and to create a sense of dislike for the US government.
Most Iranians consider Trump to be a ‘crazy man’ whose involvement in the region and the imposition of the sanctions have simply made things worse and have made people absolutely hate him. Most Iranians dislike Donald Trump and think he is not a good choice as an American president and they prefer not to discuss his personality.
It has been three years since the nuclear deal Iran signed with the US became effective, and now once more, the specter of US sanctions looms ahead worse than ever before. The only positive aspect that Iran can look forward to is to sell more oil until Donald Trump remains in office, in order to recover from the economical, political and social chaos these sanctions are expected to create.
When you take a minute to look past these sanctions you realize that these US sanctions only hurt the Iranian citizens and never have much impact on the policies of the Iranian government – the true target of these inhibitions.