May 29, 2018

Enforcing Sanctions On Iran

Now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, how difficult will it be to enforce sanctions? NPR's Scott Simon speaks with former Treasury Department adviser Elizabeth Rosenberg.

SIMON: Iran must know how to handle sanctions after all this time, don't they? They've had to live under a lot of them over the past generation.

ROSENBERG: They have indeed. They've been subject to very serious, tough sanctions in the past not just from the United States but from the entire international community. That's involved restrictions on their energy sector, their banking sector and an array of other economic sectors.

SIMON: How have they gotten around them?

ROSENBERG: Well, in some instances, they haven't been able to. So during the period of most intensive, multilateral sanctions on Iran - this is 2012 to 2015 - they had great difficulty evading sanctions. It happened here and there, certainly when it came to sales of oil, certain cargoes or bartering - financial bartering - some smuggling activities. But the fear now is that, in an instance where there's unilateral sanctions on Iran, it may have ample opportunity to cheat and evade these sanctions.

Listen to this interview and more from NPR

  • Video
    • December 2, 2024
    Ziemba: China Could Impose Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S.

    If tariffs and costs continue to rise, it will not be great for oil demand within the US, that's according to Rachel Ziemba, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New Amer...

    By Rachel Ziemba

  • Podcast
    • November 26, 2024
    Trump’s Treasury and Commerce nominations + Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel

    Emily and Geoff react to the nominations of Scott Bessent for U.S. Treasury Secretary and Howard Lutnick for U.S. Commerce Secretary and overall point man for trade and tariff...

    By Emily Kilcrease & Geoffrey Gertz

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • November 20, 2024
    Sharper: Trump 2.0

    Donald Trump's return to the White House is widely expected to reshape America's global priorities. With personnel choices and policy agendas that mark a significant break fro...

    By Charles Horn & Gwendolyn Nowaczyk

  • Podcast
    • November 14, 2024
    Trump 2.0's Economic Security Agenda

    Emily and Geoff switch from obsessing over the election to obsessing over the transition. They dig into what a Trump 2.0 presidency will mean for tariffs, sanctions, export co...

    By Emily Kilcrease & Geoffrey Gertz

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia