The war is jeopardizing the massive flow of energy and goods passing through the Gulf economies.
The war is jeopardizing the massive flow of energy and goods passing through the Gulf economies.
Special - War in the Gulf and the Global Economy w/ @yarbatman.bsky.social
Derek speaks with Esfandyar Batmanghelidj about the economic effects of the Iran war.
Available for all listeners now! Link in the replies.
More great analysis on Iranโs economy from @yarbatman.bsky.social.
Aprรจs plus de trois ans de sanctions, lโeffondrement industriel russe nโa pas eu lieu.
En ciblant les usines ennemies, l'Ukraine ยซsanctionne par dronesยป โ seule maniรจre de dรฉjouer la cannibalisation industrielle.
@yarbatman.bsky.social explique cette rรฉsilience.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/11/2...
Thanks for the kind words!
This is by far the most thoughtful discussion about the failed diplomacy around Iranโs nuclear program. Reflective and careful, unlike so much of the hot air, vibes, and guess work we are offered. Thanks @yarbatman.bsky.social
Bonus - The Death of the Iran Deal w/
@yarbatman.bsky.social
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is back on the show with Derek to break down how the Iran nuclear deal broke down, and where things go from here.
Link below โคต๏ธ
'[Iran] was moving in a better direction, pushed and pulled by 90 million souls yearning for greater security, prosperity and liberty ... Israelโs attacks demonstrate a contempt not just for life, but also a contempt for the agency and aspirations of the Iranian people.' - @yarbatman.bsky.social
The Iranian people were starting to win their battle for liberty and prosperity. Then Israel attacked.
@yarbatman.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
"Israelโs attacks demonstrate a contempt not just for life, but also a contempt for the agency and aspirations of the Iranian people. They did not want this war and they were pushing their leaders to avoid it."
Important read from my friend @yarbatman.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Itโs neither far fetched nor conspiratorial to consider that ultimately, *this* is the underlying reason Netanyahu chose to strike now:
The Iranian people were starting to win their battle for liberty and prosperity. Then Israel attacked. @yarbatman.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
This is a great piece from @veenaa.bsky.social on the prospects for civil nuclear cooperation between the US and Iran. For a new US-Iran deal to be transformative, it will require the two sides to find areas for deep technical cooperation, like nuclear energy.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/22/i...
Spoke to @sgreports.bsky.social about why Iranโs leaders are pursuing nuclear talks even if they believe they can โresistโ Trumpโs maximum pressure.
Itโs the pace of development that matters. Under sanctions, Iran is being left behind by its regional peers.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
The Trump administration has issued GL 25, effectively lifting sanctions on Syria in a single executive action.
This is an extraordinary move. USG has historically approached sanctions relief with complicated, incremental methods.
This one big step could make a big difference.
Many thanks to @boursebazaar.bsky.social ( @yarbatman.bsky.social and Henna Moussavi) for publishing!
Trumpโs promise to lift sanctions gave Syrians hope for relief in a dire economy. But lifting sanctions is just the first step towards rebuilding Syria. As Nancy Ezzeddine writes, policymakers must see sanctions relief as โan entry point, not an end point.โ
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
Bill Luers was a fundamentally optimistic diplomat and I admired him for it.
He once told me that optimism is what kept him in his profession "for so many decades." It is also what drove his remarkable work on US-Iran relations.
He will be missed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/u...
As the Taliban tries to attract foreign investment, it's pitching Afghanistan as a regional transit hub.
In this analysis for @boursebazaar.bsky.social, Nargiza Umarova looks at the range of road and rail projects being pursued by Afghanistan's neighbors.
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
My thoughts on how the US and Iran can make deeper economic relations a cornerstone of a new nuclear deal.
Iran presents a unique opportunity for Trump. It is a major economy with which the US could run large and persistent trade surpluses.
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
Iran is a uniquely large and open market for American exportersโperhaps the last major economy in the world where the US could reasonably overtake China as an industrial partner.
My reflections on how a new nuclear deal can be a *business* deal for Trump:
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
Iraq's Sudani met with Syria's al-Sharaa today.
The meeting marks the latest step as Iraq begins to adjust its Syria policy, cautiously extending a hand to the new leadership in Damascus.
Francesco Schiavi details the factors shaping Iraq's Syria policy.
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
On the @dropsitenews.com podcast with @mazmhussain.bsky.social aboutโฆ
The presidentโs unchecked authority to start economic wars
The dangerous way US economic policy is now a subset of national security policy
The impact of Trumpโs tariffs on de-dollarization
www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-decl...
Last month, @boursebazaar.bsky.social convened Syrian civil society actors, sanctions experts, and European officials for an important workshop.
In this piece, my colleague Nancy Ezzeddine explains what was discussed and why Syria must remain a priority.
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...
Spoke to @amirdaftari.bsky.social about the US-Iran talks.
I explained that Iran is looking at recent moves by the US administration, such as the critical minerals deal pushed on Ukraine, and recognizing that Trump wants a business deal, not just a nuclear deal.
www.newsweek.com/iran-leader-...
NEW SEASON: The Sanctions Age podcast is back!
I'll be speaking with amazing guests, including Eddie Fishman, Golnar Motevalli, Kyle Chan, Erich Ferrari, and Eva Dou.
Subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don't miss the new episodes.
www.thesanctionsage.com/p/the-sancti...
When the Iranian FM describes Iran's economy as a "trillion-dollar opportunity" for US companies, he's cribbing from a 2016 McKinsey Global Institute report.
MGI concluded Iran had "the potential to add $1 trillion to GDP and create 9 million jobs by 2035."
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Until recently, everyone was concerned about the unrivaled US capacity to wage economic war, but a minority of countries were targeted.
Now Trump is waging economic war on everyone.
The global response to US economic coercion is no longer limited by a collective action problem.
In Q2 2015, just 21,000 electric or hybrid cars were sold in China. This was the equivalent of 0.4% of all cars sold that quarter.
In Q4 of last year, 4.5 million of these cars were sold, the equivalent of 46% of all automobile sales.
From 0% to 50% in just 10 years...
25. Doing so allows China to focus on the real and tangible bounds of domestic industry, developing technologies and supply chains that augment its hard power.
The US has confused money with capital. The money may stay American.
The capital will be Chinese.
24. If the US wishes to limit the domain of economic competition with China to the imaginary and intangible bounds of global finance, focusing on currencies and reserves, China will abide.