The purpose of the economic sanctions on Iran was to punish the Iranian government because they were sponsoring

groups who worked against US interests. However, the sanctions are adversely affecting international relations with Iran, hindering diplomatic solutions to the nuclear issue and hurting innocent Iranian citizens. By Kourosh Ziabari, 30 June 2012; globalresearch.ca The fact that Iran should fall victim to the unfair sanctions of the West over its nuclear program portrays the duplicity and dishonesty of the United States and its European allies. They have stated that they need guarantees showing Iran will never deviate from the peaceful path of its nuclear program. Iran has provided them with these guarantees again and again, but they have never taken any positive step to build trust and ease the tensions. They have stepped up their pressure, doubled the sanctions and caused more troubles. These immoral sanctions, for example, targeted Irans aviation industry as the U.S. and European states refused to sell newlyproduced civilian aircrafts to Iran and the countrys fleet set about to age gradually. Now that Iran is unable to buy first-hand, safe aircrafts as a result of the sanctions, tens of Iranians die every year in painful air crashes of the countrys outdated, obsolete airplanes.

Due to the economic burdens placed on Iran by several countries, the country has turned to China for financial need. They have helped Iran with the development of nuclear weapons in return for the countrys oil; thus, the economic sanctions are shown, again, to be ineffective. By Erica Downs and Suzanne Maloney, March/April 2011; foreignaffairs.com Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and the European Union implemented unprecedented curbs on investment in Iran. The U.S. Congress passed new sanctions against any company selling gasoline to Iran or investing in Iran's refining capacity. Collectively, these measures have squeezed Iran's economy. Driven by economic interests, as well as sympathy for Iran's grievances, China is the only major player still active in the Iranian oil patch. Whereas firms from most other countries have retreated due to international pressure and Iran's unfavorable business climate, China and its companies adhere only to the letter of Resolution 1929, which contains no explicit restrictions on energy investment or trade. China has thus emerged as the linchpin of the international sanctions regime against Iran and, by extension, of the effort to forestall Iran from acquiring a nuclear capability.