24.10.2025 Professor Farzanegan's Research on Iran Sanctions Featured by Euronews

Research by Professor Mohammad Reza Farzanegan has received prominent international media attention, with the news network Euronews recently publishing reports on his joint study with Professsor Habibi in both German and Persian.

The coverage highlights a study co-authored by Professor Farzanegan and Professor Nader Habibi (Brandeis University), which was published in the European Journal of Political Economy. Their research investigates the profound and often unintended consequences of international sanctions on Iranian society. The study argues that rather than being a targeted, "surgical" tool, broad economic sanctions have systematically eroded Iran's middle class, the very segment of society that has historically been the engine for reform, stability, and entrepreneurship.

As detailed in the Euronews reports, the research concludes that these sanctions have functioned as a "Robin Hood in reverse," exacerbating inequality and weakening the capacity for organized, long-term political engagement by forcing much of the population to focus on daily survival.

Read the full reports on Euronews:

German: Was ist los im sanktionierten Iran und ist Teherans Atomarsenal jetzt noch gefährlicher?
Persian: به‌کام سران نظام و به‌زیان طبقه متوسط؛ تحریم‌ها چگونه معترضان ایرانی را تضعیف می‌کنند؟