Trump and Netanyahu’s Threats Cast Economic Shadow over Iran

The Ham Mihan newspaper has analyzed the impact of Trump and Netanyahu’s threats on the country’s economy.
According to Ham Mihan, the article states that statements from Netanyahu and Trump regarding the continuation of the conflict with Iran leave no other interpretation: either they are bluffing, or they are preparing the ground for the next aggressive operation. While these two scenarios are very different, they share at least one common outcome: suspension.

These threats differ from previous years’ threats, which were often empty political gestures without practical consequences. This time, due to recent events, they are considered credible. Even if Iran prepares itself to deter them and convey its resolve, in the public sphere, both domestically and internationally, the threats will be taken as real.

As a result, a state of suspension dominates the country, compounding the effects of sanctions. Suspension corresponds to heightened political instability. Both citizens and foreign governments lack a clear vision of the country’s future upon which to base interactions and investments.

Everyone waits to see what will happen. This state of anticipation and suspension is inevitable for a period, but if prolonged, there would be no need for a new aggression from enemies, as on one hand they avoid the material and political costs of war, and on the other, they impose heavy political, economic, and social costs on Iran. Perhaps this is why their statements about the continuation of the war aim to perpetuate this state of suspension.

Global experience shows that countries in a state of suspension fall behind economically and socially, facing regression. In foreign relations, they experience serious stagnation and paralysis. Most importantly, new interests and institutions form during sanctions and suspension, creating significant obstacles to returning society to normal conditions. Smuggling, opaque institutions, black and underground economies, excessive pricing, rent-seeking, halted technological and scientific development, lawlessness to bypass regulations, reduced official and unofficial oversight, and increasing violence are all consequences of a state of suspension.