The ploy of sanctions

Moscow's demand to guarantee uninterrupted trade with Iran in the wake of fresh sanctions is quite meaningful

Moscow is flexing its muscles and seems to be in a defiant mood. Its demand to guarantee uninterrupted trade with Iran from the western powers in the wake of fresh sanctions against Russia is quite meaningful. The point is that both Iran and Russia are under sanctions from the Western powers. Moscow’s insistence that it shouldn’t be penalised over its actions against Ukraine and, likewise, Tehran too should be off the hook from nuclear-related curbs is a leaf from neo-realism.

This piece of diplomatic stunt is meant to torpedo the clout and influence that Europe and the United States conventionally exercise over other countries in an attempt to keep them under the thumb. The West believes an instant casualty of this demand will be the P5+1 nuclear accord with Iran, and at the same time render sanctions against Russia toothless.

This development has come in the wake of news that a deal with Iran is almost final, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be restored shortly. The 2015 nuclear accord ensures Iran’s compliance with the nuclear-related provisions duly verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency. President Trump’s knee-jerk reaction to call it off in 2018 had derailed the momentum of consensus over such a vital piece of denuclearisation. Now as the 11-month-old negotiations since President Biden came into power were in the final phase, Russia’s attempt to introduce new benchmarks are proving to be a spanner in the works.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is looking at the broader picture of sanctions, and the upheavals underway in the region. Russia controls a major chunk of energy supply to Europe, and it is sure that recent sanctions will undermine its supplies. By courting an irritant-free nexus with Iran, Lavrov has spinned the ball of unilateralism. It will create ripples as more countries, especially the Middle Eastern allies, will also call for stepping aside blanket sanctions to let them trade without hindrance. This becomes more relevant as markets are jittery and eyeing the return of Iranian crude on the index to scale down the price hype. The West would be better advised to start thinking beyond sanctions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.