By Geoff LaMear
The Biden administration is seeking to further target Iran's oil exports and limit its import of drone and missile components. Amid an impasse at the Vienna nuclear negotiations, it's important to reevaluate whether these sanctions further US interests.
This is a continuation of the "maximum pressure" strategy that started in 2018 and hasn't worked. Despite imposing over 1,500 sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports, domestic manufacturing, banking, and other sectors, US sanctions failed to produce a better deal or deter Iran.
To the contrary, Iran went from having less than 300 kg of enriched uranium in May 2018, when the sanctions campaign began, to having over 3,200 kg in June 2021. Regional security is more precarious than before, with Iranian attacks on oil tankers continuing from 2019 to the present.
This piece was originally published in Insider on August 10, 2021. Read more HERE.