With Western sanctions taking a toll on Iran’s economy and sparking widespread discontent, the six presidential hopefuls are proposing different approaches to address the challenges, with implications for the country’s foreign policy stance.
The punitive US sanctions, reinstated after the US exited the 2015 nuclear agreement, have led to years of economic struggles in Iran, fueling political unrest and popular dissatisfaction.
As the fast-approaching snap election on June 28 draws near, discussions among the candidates contending for Iran’s presidency have revolved around whether Tehran should seek to repair relations with Western nations.
Following the recent passing of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, the expansion of Western sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear activities and support for various groups in the Middle East and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated the economic challenges facing the nation.
The sanctions have significantly diminished Iran’s oil revenues, restricted trade, and contributed to high inflation rates, unemployment, and a plummeting Iranian rial against the US dollar.
In Tehran’s vibrant Grand Bazaar, Hamid Habibi, a 54-year-old shopkeeper, lamented the severe impact of the sanctions on the Iranian people, calling for their removal and the restoration of ties with the US and European countries.
According to Fayyaz Zahed, a professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, during televised debates focused on the economy before the upcoming election, nearly all candidates highlighted the devastating consequences of the sanctions and emphasized the urgent need to address them to alleviate the people’s suffering.
While the six candidates, consisting of five conservatives and one reformist, have all pledged to tackle the economic challenges, their perspectives on Iran’s relationship with the West vary widely.
