Assets Quote by Mohammad Javad Zarif
“I think the most important challenge that remains is this mentality in Washington that sanctions have been an asset, and some people want to find even an excuse to keep them or an excuse to reintroduce them. I don't know whether they've looked at the record of how sanctions actually produce exactly the opposite of what they wanted to produce.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: UN Security Council address, 2022
Sanctions often backfire, producing outcomes opposite to intended political goals.
In simple terms: Sanctions can have unintended negative effects.
Reevaluate and design sanctions carefully.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- trade negotiations
- humanitarian crises
- foreign policy planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternative tools could achieve policy goals without sanctions?
- How can we measure sanctions’ true impact?
Sanctions may harm civilian populations more than regimes.