Blockade Might Break Iran, But Not The Regime (S01E53)

Monday, April 20, 2026The US fired upon and damaged the Iranian commercial ship Touska on Sunday as it tried to traverse the Strait of Hormuz and head into the Persian Gulf.The incident showed the US is serious about imposing a blockade on Iranian traffic into the Strait, an attempt to pressure Iran to open up the waterway to international traffic.The US believes that impeding Iran’s access to the waterway will further damage its economy, force it to open up the Strait, and give concessions in ongoing negotiations. Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder and chief executive of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, tracks Iran’s economy. In a wide-ranging interview, he says while the pressure can and will hurt Iran’s economy, such pressure has rarely changed its policies.Batmanghelidj also details the impact of the blockade on Iran and assesses the damage caused by the war. Please listen or watch, like, share, and subscribe.badlands is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe