Scott talks to Melissa Etehad about the effects of U.S. sanctions on ordinary Iranians. The “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran is meant to inflict suffering on the whole country in order to pressure its government into meeting America’s demands. Unfortunately, it is poor civilians who bear most of the brunt of these policies, and it’s not at all clear whether the pressure on the government actually works. At the moment, both the Trump administration and the government of Iran seem equally obstinate.

Discussed on the show:

“Middle-class Iranians resort to buying rotting produce as U.S. sanctions take toll” (LA Times)“The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)” (Arms Control Association)“The Secret History of the Push to Strike Iran” (The New York Times)Iranian Green Movement

Melissa Etehad received her master’s in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in international affairs from UC San Diego. She writes for the LA Times and previously worked at Al Jazeera English and the Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @melissaetehad.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.