Monday, 6 August 2018

US-Iran sanctions and the Antiquities Trade


BBC US-Iran sanctions: What do they mean?
The US is implementing economic sanctions on Iran after pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. But what are these sanctions, and what impact will they have have? One result will be increased social unrest in the country (arguably a US aim) . What we will probably not be seeing, though is a drop in antiquities (papered and unpapered/illicit) being sold by US dealers on the International No-Questions-Asked Antiquities Market.  Obviously the US is not going to sign an MOU to stop criminals bypassing the sanctions, so the goods will keep coming, and perhaps if economic hardship and social unrest follows, even increase - but this time as 'conflict antiquities'. We've seen this before, in Syria.

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