Iran Sanctions Enrich Middlemen, Worsen Poverty for Ordinary Iranians

IranWire reports that sanctions have created a class of well-connected middlemen who profit from arbitrage and smuggling, while ordinary Iranians face rising costs and poverty. The piece highlights the unintended domestic consequences of sanctions, which are often overlooked in policy debates. The claim is based on anecdotal reporting and lacks hard economic data, so the magnitude of the effect is uncertain.