June 17, 2019
No Cheese, Extra Pickles
If you want to know how sanctions are playing out in Iran — look no further than the classified ads. You’ll find folks selling unused cosmetics, pets, and… something even more unusual.
But you might also come across people like Alireza Jahromi, an entrepreneur with a chain of trendy burger joints. He says sanctions are like a tsunami— destructive. But if you know how to surf, you grab your board and paddle out. And he says Iran, metaphorically speaking, is a country of surfers.
On this episode, we ask if US policymakers may have underestimated Iranian resiliency and whether President Trump’s suffocating sanctions are likely to lead to new nuclear negotiations, or just reinforce a bitter feud.
Listen to Elizabeth Rosenberg's full interview on PRI's Things That Go Boom.
More from CNAS
-
Who Will Make Money on AI?
Reports
Executive Summary The private sector is playing a leading role in advancing the frontier of artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, commercial incentives are likely to have...
By Geoffrey Gertz & Emily Kilcrease
-
USTR Hearing on Section 301 Investigations into Structural Excess Capacity
Congressional Testimony
On May 5, 2026 Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at CNAS testified at the Office of the United States Trade Representa...
By Emily Kilcrease
-
The UAE Wants a Dollar Lifeline
Podcast
Rachel Ziemba joins The Indicator to discuss the relationship between the U.S. and the UAE in terms of investment. Listen to the full interview on The Indicator | Planet Money...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
President Trump Wants to Be Able to Sell the Iran War as a Win
Video
Rachel Ziemba, founder of Ziemba Insights and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, says that investors should look beyond the ending of the Iran wa...
By Rachel Ziemba
