Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the US Treasury, spoke for 50 minutes with Charlie Rose of the US Public Broadcasting Service on Wednesday about sanctions and economic pressure. Much of the discussion was about Washington's strategy and tactics and Levey's assessment of the economic and political effects on Tehran.
Whether or not one agrees whether sanctions are working, or indeed whether it is the right approach to Iran, the interview is a revelation of how the Obama Administration has pursued the approach --- note Levey's "personal diplomacy" with dozens of trips to foreign governments, companies, and banks --- and its belief that the measures are working:
CHARLIE ROSE: How bad is their economy today?
STUART LEVEY: It’s interesting, because I think their economy is a lot worse than they try to present it as being.
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