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Iran, protests, and sanctions

NPR· Feb 7, 2026· 33m 18s

Book tour tickets and details here . The recent protests in Iran are about so many things. Human rights, corruption, freedom. But this time – they are also motivated by economic hardship. Hardship caused, in part, by US sanctions. The US has been sanctioning Iran in one way or another for 47 years. But sanctions, as a tool, only work some of the time, and US sanctions on Iran have not always conformed to what experts consider best practices. On today’s episode: What did US sanctions do to Iran's

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Iran, protests, and sanctions

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Sample transcript — click Live captions above to run Whisper on the actual audio in your browser.
  1. Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    0:00
  2. Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    0:04
  3. We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    0:09
  4. The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    0:14
  5. Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    0:19
  6. Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    0:24