US academic warns Washington not to underestimate Iran under sanctions

WASHINGTON, United States — A Johns Hopkins University energy security professor and former US National Defense University faculty member, Paul Sullivan, said Washington is underestimating Iran's capacity to withstand US sanctions and economic pressure. In remarks to Shafaq News, Sullivan said the United States has misjudged the Iranian personnel and resources available to manage those pressures. Sullivan pointed to the appointment of Iran's new Economy Minister, Ali Madanizade, as evidence of the country's deep scientific bench. He noted that Madanizade won a bronze medal at the 2000 International Mathematical Olympiad, holds a master's degree from Stanford University and a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago, arguing that academic background would enable innovative policymaking under external pressure. The US Treasury Department announced last Monday that it had launched an "economic exclusion operation" against Iran at President Donald Trump's direction. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the campaign targets Iran and those who support it. The department also unveiled new sanctions covering 60 individuals, entities and vessels, but did not list financial institutions in China suspected of facilitating Iranian oil trade.