Iran Sanctions (Special Series), Part 1: The Nuts and Bolts

The real thrust of Western sanctions against Iran is a subtle one. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization — is so entrenched in the Iranian economy that any corporation would be hard-pressed to do business in Iran's energy sector without touching the IRGC. And these corporations could quickly lose confidence in the safety of their investments in the United States, the largest consumer market in the world. Nonetheless, a number of firms are still willing to take such risks in supplying gasoline to Iran. Editor's Note: This is part one of a three-part series on what sanctions against Iran could mean for Iran, U.S.-Russian relations, Israel and the global economy.