Experts & Staff

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj

ECFR Alumni · Visiting Fellow

Areas of expertise

Political economy of the Middle East and Central Asia, economic diplomacy, sanctions

Languages

English, Persian, French

Biography

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj was a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He is the founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on economic diplomacy, economic development, and economic justice in the Middle East and Central Asia. He has published peer reviewed research on Iranian political economy, social history, and public health, as well as commentary on Iranian politics and economics. He is also a principle member of a research project on the humanitarian impact of sanctions hosted by the Graduate Institute in Geneva and funded by the Swiss Network for International Studies. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

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European governments and the EU should press the US to strengthen the humanitarian exemptions in its Iran sanctions

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The US has re-imposed its sanctions on Iran; the final part of our sanctions mini-series explains how the US will implement them

Bankless task: can Europe stay connected to Iran?

Despite the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of economic sanctions, Europe remains committed to maintaining ties with Iran

In the media