ABSTRACT
The year 2010 has so far been Iran's annus horribilis. In addition to a number of domestic political turmoils, economic setbacks, and social crises, the 'year of the tiger' has witnessed a concerted diplomatic censure. The Obama administration and the US Congress, considering the latest United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution not aggressive enough to upend Iran's nuclear efforts, immediately began to draft their own unilateral measures with more bite. On 27 July 2010, the 27 members of the European Union imposed a raft of new sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Simultaneously, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced that Tehran would begin the construction of its third enrichment plant by early 2011. A former president of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for example, attributes 35" of the total costs of domestic consumer goods to sanctions because a number of dual-use items must now be purchased at much higher prices in the black market.
