Sanctions working in Iran?
Nicholas Kristof not only argues that sanctions are crippling the economy (something both proponents and opponents sometimes agree on), but also suggests that the perceived blame for the economic downturn is not placed internationally, but domestically (something that many opponents, especially in Cuba, had argued):
To be blunt, sanctions are succeeding as intended: They are inflicting prodigious economic pain on Iranians and are generating discontent.
…
Western sanctions have succeeded in another way: Most blame for economic distress is directed at Iran’s own leaders, and discontent appears to be growing with the entire political system. I continually ran into Iranians who were much angrier at their leaders on account of rising prices than on account of the imprisonment of dissidents or Bahais.
