For over 40 years, Iranians have experienced the challenges associated with being a heavily sanctioned state. However, many in Iran say their struggles are not solely a result of Western-imposed sanctions, and that the other half of the issue is due to domestic shortcomings ^[68,69]. While some Iranians consider their government’s use of the phrase “The Great Satan” as a symbolic declaration against the US and its imperialist agenda, others take it as a government scapegoat for avoiding responsibility in addressing internal corruption and the lack of accountability for those in positions of power.

Throughout the past four decades, Iranians have been grappling with the real-life consequences of sanctions imposed on them by the US, European Union, and even the United Nations ^[27]. Sanctions are economic penalties imposed on a nation in hopes that it will be forced to change government policy or direction as a result of being cut off from international relations and trade. Despite the pressures they inflict, sanctions are most often ineffective as a diplomatic tool because they rarely achieve the anticipated outcome. Ultimately, it is the people of a nation that receive the hardest blows and suffer as a result of living in a sanctioned state. When the sanctions fail to achieve their anticipated goal of regime collapse, this is indicative of the resolve of the host population in the face of these challenges, and their lack of submission to the dictates of the sanctioning entity ^[50].

The US has imposed more economic sanctions than any other country in the world ^[50]. Sanctions on Iran have targeted numerous sectors, including banking, oil exports, industry, trade, asset freezes, airplane parts, medicine, and other key Iranian exports like Persian rugs and pistachios. Sanctions have played a significant role in the rising inflation and high unemployment rates in Iran, which have had devastating consequences for the people, especially vulnerable populations with limited access to resources ^[51]. Poverty has also increased as wages have failed to keep up with soaring inflation, and many families are unable to keep up with the soaring prices of basic living necessities ^[52]. To make matters worse, Iranian youth currently face a 27.2 percent unemployment rate, meaning many families cannot rely on their children to contribute financially ^[42].

Under an agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), there was a chance for some sanctions relief in exchange for agreeing to regulations on Iran’s nuclear program, but the Trump Administration unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in May 2018. Within 120 days of withdrawing, the US re-imposed all economic sanctions on Iran and introduced secondary sanctions on other countries trading with them. This further isolated Iran from the international sphere and had devastating ripple effects in all sectors of Iranian society.

These “maximum pressure” sanctions have effectively isolated Iran from the international community, constraining its ability to access even the most basic humanitarian imports. Essential medicines, critical drugs for epilepsy, and critical drugs for cancer are all more difficult for Iranians to access because of sanctions ^[15]. The greatest irony in this picture is that the same entities that push for human rights and freedom in Iran are directly contributing to Iranians’ daily struggles in meeting their most basic needs. No human rights organization can ever justify denying humanitarian aid and medicine to a population that requires it for treatment. However, it must be emphasized that these very sanctions have also led to the formation of a national resistance economy that is built by the people and is unleashing its energies within, gradually granting the Iranian people a high level of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. 

While sanctions are largely to blame for much of the pressures Iranians face, many in Iran believe that they are one of many reasons the nation is experiencing economic turmoil.They see the government’s failure to address domestic issues concerning corruption, secrecy, and a lack of accountability as also playing an important role in the lack of economic stability ^[17,18]. Additionally, many Iranians have expressed frustrations with a government they deem incompetent at addressing their needs and hearing their grievances ^[16,68,69]. This anger becomes much more apparent during times of economic and political turmoil, such as recent protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Having said that, no other nation to date has withstood the level of sanctions imposed on Iran and it would not be difficult to imagine any other country crumbling under such pressure. 

Therefore, Iran’s internal corruption cannot be judged as a normal situation, especially due to the severe external pressure it is receiving from all directions. The pressure cooker Iran is under has fueled a considerable portion of the internal corruption, as sanctions are known to fuel the growth of black markets in society, which has particularly been documented in the field of medicine in Iran, the lack of transparency as a result, and the focus on security that takes energy away from confronting internal corruption ^[125]. While this reality does not excuse government mismanagement and lack of accountability, it does attest to the fact that Iran’s situation is unique in many respects, and several factors must be considered simultaneously when analyzing economic issues.