ECFR Alumni · Visiting Fellow
Political economy of the Middle East and Central Asia, economic diplomacy, sanctions
English, Persian, French
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.
The Biden administration has boxed itself into a maximalist position that jeopardises efforts to make the Iran sanctions programme more humane. European governments should be pushed to change course
European governments and the EU should press the US to strengthen the humanitarian exemptions in its Iran sanctions
On 31 January, Germany, France and Britain announced the establishment of a special purpose vehicle aimed at facilitating legitimate trade with Iran
The US has re-imposed its sanctions on Iran; the final part of our sanctions mini-series explains how the US will implement them
Despite the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of economic sanctions, Europe remains committed to maintaining ties with Iran
Resistance and endurance are pointless if diplomatic and economic opportunities are not seized when they arise
In an op-ed, Ellie Geranmayeh remarks on the state of the Iran nuclear deal on its seventh anniversary.
A successful outcome of the nuclear negotiations would be a strong signal that Iran’s long-term interests lie in a balanced foreign policy
For the West, the nuclear talks with Iran are primarily about political concerns, writes Esfandyar Batmanghelidj
It is one of the ways that Iran is able to demonstrate that it wants to turn the page after several years of very significant tension with the West
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj comments on reviving the Iran Nuclear Deal
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj comments on the potential for dissolving tension between Iran and the West
If you lose momentum at this late stage the dynamics shift in ways that it could become impossible to resume the talks,
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj comments on Iran in the context of nuclear warfare