How to stay hopeful in a sanctioned country!

Now the purpose of this writing isn’t about discovering similar cities. But the thing I want to focus on is something that you may all be thoroughly aware of and well-informed about, and that is sanctions.

Sanctions remain a tool for regimes to demand explicit shifts in the demeanor and policy of other nations. For as long as I can recall, Iran has been under sanctions. But undoubtedly, there were various phases of hardship imposed. During the Bush-era, the United States government imposed limited sanctions, Mainly cutting off American companies’ access to the Iranian market. In the Obama admin, It became a bit harsher and included secondary sanctions, Which means foreign companies outside US territory can’t make the trade with Iran.

That completely changed with the signing of the JCPOA or commonly known as the “Iran deal.” Now with a new admin in charge (The ultra hawkish Trump admin), that didn’t maintain a long life.

It’s been about two years since the return of sanctions. And life has been getting more difficult by the day. And I’m not talking about economic issues. There are always ups and downs to a capitalist market. (And make no mistake. Iran has a capitalist economy.)

The hardship is in despair and loss of hope. In 2013 the Rouhani admin (Iran’s current president) came into power with a message of hope. That message was uplifting and moving for a society that didn’t genuinely believe in change. We all believed in that message and the platform that Rouhani was proposing.

That’s just a tiny part of the picture. Sanctions leave an emotional toll on people too. Getting imposed by sanctions remains a tragic circumstance, and I hope nobody ever experiences it.

And all for what? For the show of force? To assure your base that you are, in fact, an aggressive leader? Is that the humane thing to do?

Nevertheless, we move forward. If you are interested in history, I propose you follow the conflicts in different eras of Iran. Iran has witnessed some turbulent times, and we have moved on from these dreadful times. If you ask me, I believe this moment will pass, and a better, brighter, and more just future awaits us. The unique solution is to stay hopeful. No matter the climate and no matter the obstacles.

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