The US has announced it is easing sanctions on Iran, allowing exports of computers, cellphones and software to individuals. The move comes ahead of presidential election to be held next month.
Though the chances of an Apple Store being opened in Tehran are
still slim, Iranians might soon be able to buy American computer
devices and cellphones officially and not at the black market, as
they have been forced to do by US restrictions, in force since
1992. As for Iranians living in US, they can finally feel free to
buy whatever gadgets they like – something they used to be
denied, with shops citing American sanctions.
The US Department of the Treasury says it is lifting the ban to
enhance freedom of speech.
“The people of Iran should be able to communicate and access
information without being subject to reprisals by their
government,” the department’s statement reads. It specifies
the sanctions will no longer apply only for non-government,
individual consumers.
The move is meant to give Iranians greater access to social media
and instant messaging tools, allowing them to avoid at least some
of the government controls on the internet. The decision is made
two weeks before the coming presidential election, recalling the
impact of the Arab Spring.
Back in 2011 regime protests were gathered as a result of
activists being able to communicate and coordinate their actions
through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Iran witnessed something similar in 2009, when President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad’s reelection led to massive protests by the
opposition Green Movement, which also used social media
extensively to summon crowds to anti-government demonstrations.
US-based human rights group, the National Iranian American
Council (NIAC), hailed Washington’s decision, explaining the
sanctions harmed common Iranians more than the
government.
“At a time when broad sanctions are causing many Iranians to
seriously question whether the US is aiming at them or their
government, this is a very important gesture,” said Jamal
Abdi, NIAC Policy Director.
Iranian political analyst Seyed Mohammad Marandi is not that
optimistic, labeling the gesture as empty. He believes lifting
some other sanctions would have been the real sign of America’s
goodwill. Meanwhile, the US is trying to “prevent the import
and export of all goods, including foodstuffs and medicine.”
“Many patients have died as a result of medical shortages.
They are trying to wreck the Iranian economy and inflict as much
suffering as possible upon the Iranian people.”
The analyst is questioning the US’s sincerity in its efforts to
enhance freedoms for common Iranians, as he points at how
selective Washington’s attempts at bringing democratic reforms to
Arab countries have been so far.
“In truth, Western regimes are against the Awakening or Spring
that we see in Arab countries, because they do not want the will
of the people to be reflected in the policies of the governments
of the region. That is why they supported the Tunisian and
Egyptian dictatorships until they were on the verge of being
overthrown and that is why they support the Saudi occupation of
Bahrain. That is also why the US, Britain, and France, have
allowed the oil rich dictatorships of the Persian Gulf to heavily
fund Takfiri Salafis across the region,” Marandi said.
This article originally appeared on: RT