Iran smiles through sanctions

by Gareth Smith December 3, 2010

written by Gareth Smith December 3, 2010

As 2010 began, there was global speculation as to the future of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mass demonstrations after the disputed 2009 presidential election raised hopes among opponents of the Ahmadinejad regime that a new revolution beckoned, and any momentum in the Obama administration for engagement over Tehran’s nuclear program was thwarted by outrage at the suppression of Iran’s opposition ‘Green Movement’. When 2011 opens, the resilience of the Iranian authorities — both in overcoming domestic unrest and in coping with a new wave of American, European, Asian and United Nations sanctions — may create a better atmosphere for engagement. The challenge — reaching a compromise over Iran’s nuclear program — has barely changed in seven or eight years. Tehran’s bottom line is its “right” to nuclear technology, especially as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But the world powers insist is that Iran accepts a limit

Gareth Smith

Gareth Smith was a distinguished journalist who reported from the Middle East for over two decades. He served as the Financial Times correspondent in Tehran, where he was the chief Iran correspondent from 2003, following his earlier role as Lebanon correspondent. Throughout his career, Smith covered Middle Eastern affairs for leading media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Guardian, and the BBC. He also contributed as an editor to Executive magazine. His work as a freelance journalist in the 1990s, focusing on the politics of Iran and Iraq, paved the way for his appointment at the FT. In 2009, he relocated to the west coast of Ireland, where he balanced freelance journalism with his passion for nature and the land.

Iran smiles through sanctions

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