The Impact of International Sanctions on Iran’s Transition to Sustainability: The Case of Socio-technical Systems of Car Fuel in Iran (1980-2015)

This paper aims to study the impact of the economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran during the years 1980-2015, by reviewing the sustainability transition of the car-fuel socio-technical system of the country. This paper raises the following questions; what are the impacts of the international sanctions imposed on Iran? which aspects of the regime is more strongly affected by these sanctions? and finally, whether the sanctions have made the Iranian car fuel system more or less carbon-based? This paper concludes that while the impacts of the economic sanctions have had mixed results on the technology selection mechanism, their indirect impacts on the cultural-cognitive institutions of the society has created a new balance leaning towards a pro-change discourse.