Investigating the Effect of International Sanctions on Iran's Trade Structure: A Network Theory Approach

After World War II, countries have used sanctions against target countries instead of military attack in order to force them to change their policies. Following the revolution, Iran was sanctioned by the U.S. and its alliances. The strict sanctions imposed on Iran in 2012 and most of them were supposed to be lifted in 2016 by United Nations, following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Since sanctions can affect countries' economic conditions, specifically their foreign trade relations, it is crucial to study the effectiveness of sanctions. Hence, this study compares the structural economic position of Iran in the international trade network in 2012 and 2016 and investigates the effectiveness of international sanctions on Iran's structural position in the International trade network. Results show that Iran is not only a periphery in the international trade network, but also its structural position in the international trade network is not affected significantly by the sanctions.