Considering all the disturbing issues in Iran, will crippling sanctions help
the US to bring the Iranian government to the negotiation table and force it to
suspend its nuclear activities? The answer is “no”; not only will such a plan
fail, there are three key reasons why it will also lead Iran and the world to
perilous consequences.
First, the advocates of stiff sanctions fail to see that the ruling elite,
notably Ahmadinejad and his group, have an ideological mandate and their
decisions are ultimately shaped by their fierce passion for Islam. Ahmadinejad
and his circle would consider tough sanctions as an opportunity, no a
deterrent. They believe wholeheartedly that they are entering an apocalyptic
age, one which will eventually result in their victory. It would be god’s will
if they made peace with the enemy and it would be god’s will if they ended up
in war.
Second, it has been a well-known strategy throughout history to transform
internal political and social threats into external confrontation, thus getting
rid of the internal threat. Debilitating sanctions or warlike conditions would
furnish the ruling elite with the opportunity to silence the opposition by
claiming it is working with the enemy.
Third, the Iranian government will not stand by as a spectator while it is
under embargo. It will react and will elevate the confrontation by any m…
