The Sanctions Age Returns for Season 2
Hosted by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj
Twenty years ago, the U.S. Department of Treasury had imposed sanctions on fewer than 1,000 companies and individuals. Today, more than 10,000 entities have been targeted. No matter how much you might know about sanctions, the learning curve is only getting steeper.
The Sanctions Age podcast invites the people who understand sanctions best—economists, historians, executives, lawyers, policymakers, and journalists—to explain their use and significance. Understanding sanctions, export controls, and other forms of economic coercion is the key to understanding politics and economics today.
Since Season 1 of the podcast aired last year, the story around sanctions and other forms of economic coercion has only gotten more complex.
China and the U.S. remain locked in a tit-for-tat economic battle. In February, the world was stunned by the launch of the DeepSeek AI model, a development that suggested China was shrugging off U.S. export controls targeting advanced technologies. In March, the U.S. sanctioned a Chinese oil refinery for the first time, putting China’s energy security in the crosshairs.
Elsewhere, sanctions continue to create knots for policymakers and ordinary people alike. In Syria, the fall of Bashar al-Assad has led to an unusual situation—Western sanctions remain in place even though the regime they were meant to target is gone. In Russia, sanctions have reshaped the economy so profoundly that even as Putin opens the door for the return of Western businesses, some Russian oligarchs don’t want them back.
Most dramatically, Trump’s expansive tariffs have opened a new chapter in the history of U.S. economic coercion, putting global markets into a tailspin.
These are just some of the issues we will cover in Season 2 of The Sanctions Age.
About the Host
My name is Esfandyar Batmanghelidj. I’ve spent more than a decade researching sanctions and economic statecraft. I’m the founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on economic development and economic diplomacy in West Asia. I am also an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Bologna, where I teach a course titled “Sanctions and Their Effects.”
Studying sanctions means working across disciplines. I’ve published peer-reviewed research in several fields, including economics, international relations, social history, and public health.
Most importantly, through my work on sanctions, I have met brilliant policymakers, business leaders, and scholars. The Sanctions Age is an opportunity to bring you into the conversations that have shaped my thinking on sanctions over the years.
In Season 2, I’ll be speaking to more amazing guests guests, including:
Edward Fishman on whether the U.S. can keep its sanctions edge
Golnar Motevalli on economic journalism in sanctioned countries
Erich Ferrari on how entities get on (and off) sanctions lists
Kyle Chan on whether sanctions can stop China’s industrial rise
Eva Dou on how sanctions shaped the rise of tech giant Huawei
The first episode of Season 2 will be released soon.
How to Tune In
The Sanctions Age is available to download for free wherever you get your podcasts. Free subscribers will get an email notification when a new episode is available.
But by becoming a paid subscriber here on Substack, you’ll get the following benefits:
Each new episode delivered straight to your inbox
A full transcript of the interview
My analysis and reflections on each episode
Subscriber-only posts focused on the sanctions issues that are making the headlines
Launching Season 2 of the show would not have been possible without the support of our paid subscribers. Thank you!
The Sanctions Age is produced by Spiritland Productions.
The first episode of Season 2 will be released soon. Subscribe and stay tuned!