In a 56-page report, titled 'Spider Web: the Making and Unmaking of Iran Sanctions', the International Crisis Group said that the harsh sanctions imposed on Iran's economy have failed to reach West's desirable results.
"With war a frightening prospect and fruitful negotiations a still-distant dream, sanctions have become the West's instrument of choice vis-à-vis Iran. They are everywhere: in the financial arena, barring habitual commercial relations; in the oil sector, choking off Tehran's principal source of currency; in the insurance sector, thwarting its ability to transport goods… . But are they succeeding? By at least one important criterion (the intensity of Western concern over nuclear progress), plainly they are not," the group said in the executive summary.
"Sanctions are not necessarily counterproductive. But, too easily they become a path of least resistance, a tool whose effectiveness is assessed by the harm inflicted, not how much closer it brings the goal. In future cases, policymakers should make sure to constantly re-evaluate their effects. For now, the priority is devising a menu of meaningful, realistic sanctions relief to match meaningful, realistic nuclear concessions."
Pointing to the talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the group said, "The challenge for the G5+1 is to devise a package of incentives, including some less than complete degree of relief, that is politically as well as legally achievable and that genuinely addresses Iranian concerns. And the challenge for Tehran will be to respond in kind."
In its recommendations, the think tank asks the government of the United States and the European Union to provide clear guidelines to financial institutions indicating that humanitarian trade is permissible and will not be punished, consider allowing an international agency to play the role of intermediary for procuring specialised medicine for Iran, and to sustain nuclear diplomacy and bolster chances of success
Among others, the think tank also demanded the world powers to agree to hold intensive, continuous, technical-level negotiations to achieve a step-by-step agreement and, to that end, consider establishing a Vienna- or Istanbul-based contact group for regular interaction.
It also demanded the G5+1 to recognize both Iran's right in principle to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes on its soil, while it also called on Iran to provide strong guarantees that the program will remain peaceful.
