Sanctions as Diplomacy: The US Playbook's Predictable Page
So, the US government, under then-President Trump, announced fresh sanctions on Iranian individuals, companies, and ships, all accused of illicit oil sales and ballistic missile programs. This, we're told, happened on the eve of potential nuclear negotiations, as if this were some unfortunate coincidence. One might interpret this as sending a strong message, but a more cynical reading, backed by
history, suggests a deliberate act to undermine diplomacy before it even begins. This isn't the first rodeo, nor is it surprising. The pattern is as old as the hills, perhaps even older than the infamous 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup against Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. That coup, which installed a Western-friendly dictatorship, set the stage for much of the
animosity we see today. Fast forward to the present: while the US purports to seek engagement, these sanctions often target vital sectors of the Iranian economy, impacting daily life for ordinary citizens far more than they sway decision-makers in Tehran. For instance, the US Treasury Department's actions against Iran's energy sector since 1979 have, by some estimates, cost the Iranian economy
over a trillion dollars, yet the government persists. It’s a punitive measure disguised as a negotiating tactic, punishing the populace while simultaneously decrying the government’s response to such pressure. The hypocrisy is glaring. Washington routinely imposes secondary sanctions on nations trading with Iran, essentially dictating global commerce while simultaneously claiming to support 'free