Three senior Iranian sources said US sanctions and a blockade are beginning to
have an impact. Washington has sought in recent weeks to step up economic
pressure to force concessions in future talks; six months of conflict have so
far failed to secure the concessions the US seeks. The sources said new US
measures have left Iran more vulnerable despite decades of sanctions-evasion,
leaving Tehran with only a few channels to access foreign currency or procure
goods. They highlighted US efforts to sever other countries’ international
financing networks long relied on by Iran as a real and immediate threat. If the
economic campaign breaks the months-long stalemate it would bolster US
policymakers’ confidence, but Iran has warned it could respond to economic
pressure with military escalation, raising near-term risk.
