DUBAI (Saud al-Zahed) – The effect of the sanctions against Iran was poignantly visible when a student in the north went to university on a donkey, casting doubt on the president’s statements about the stability of the Iranian economy in the face of the stifling embargo.
A student at the Chaloos Islamic Azad University in the northern city of Nowshahr took his colleagues by surprise when he went to campus on the back of a donkey, citing his inability to pay taxi fare.
Ask the sanctions and the worst is yet to come
Iranian studentTaxis have recently been charging extremely high fees in the wake of the rise in fuel prices as a result of the tightened sanctions by the U.S., the EU and the U.N.
The student was stopped at the gate and security refused to allow him into the campus with the donkey, Iranian media reported.
When officers asked him why he chose to ride a donkey, he replied, “Ask the sanctions and the worst is yet to come.”
Iranian officials, on top of which are President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, insist that the sanctions did not affect the economy, yet observers argue that the standards of living are bound to deteriorate.
This, they say, will pose a real challenge to the regime which managed to come out semi-victorious from the last crisis of the opposition. People are expected to take to the streets again and another spat of political unrest is sure to ensue.
Iraq and Iran The people are still indignant and willing to stage more protests especially that they have already broken the fear barrier
Iranian affairs expert Mousa al-SharifiSeveral observers compare the situation in Iran with Iraq under sanctions in the sense that the embargo did not bring about any political change in the latter and therefore will not in the former. However, other experts beg to differ.
For Mousa al-Sharifi, expert in Iranian affairs, Iraq did not have a precedent as far as protesting the suppression on the regime. With Iranians, the situation is different since they have acquired the culture of rebellion and street demonstrations.
What distinguishes Iran, Sharifi added, is that the sanctions were imposed immediately after the unrest that followed the results of the 2009 presidential elections, which earned the incumbent Ahmadinejad another term in office.
“The people are still indignant and willing to stage more protests especially that they have already broken the fear barrier when they engaged in direct clashes with security forces,” he said.
Growing discontent We have to be very careful of the consequences of sanctions
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Sharifi noted that the first signs of unrest have already surfaced with the recent strike staged by gold dealers following the 25% increase in gold tax.
“Strikes have swept the markets in Tehran, Esfahan and other major cities and people are waiting in apprehension for subsidies to be cut and prices to double.”
Contrary to all facts on the ground, President Ahmadinejad calls the sanctions “ink on paper” and insists that they only reflect “the defeat of the West.”
Veteran Iranian politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani disagrees with the president and has repeatedly warned the authorities of underestimating the impact of the sanctions.
“We have to be very careful of the consequences of sanctions,” he said.
According to reports from Tehran, the Iranian authorities have formed a special committee to discuss the means of dealing with reactions to subsidy cuts and soaring prices and the protests and strikes that are expected to follow.
Sources say that despite constantly scoffing at the sanctions, the regime anticipates expansive protests and is currently devising all the possible contingency planes in order to crush future opposition.