Iran: What Next? by Majid Rafizadeh
The struggle against the Iranian regime and its support for terrorism has primarily focused on economic sanctions and a naval blockade of Iranian ports. This pressure, which has driven oil exports to historically low levels…
Assessment
Majid Rafizadeh argues that economic sanctions and naval blockades have successfully squeezed Iran's oil revenue, starving the regime of hard currency for missiles, proxies, and domestic repression. But he warns that this pressure alone will not shift the regime's fundamentalist ideology or force a behavioral change. The piece implies that the West needs a broader strategy beyond economic tools. Watch for whether policymakers begin discussing direct support for Iranian opposition movements or other non-economic levers.