The sanctions on Iran include measures imposed by the United Nations since 2006 and toughened last year, as well as unilateral steps by the United States.
The effect of the sanctions is to limit Iran's access to international capital markets and block it from acquiring advanced American and European technology.
The measures have caused considerable pain to Iranian businesses. The Iranian Offshore Engineering & Construction Co., an oil-services firm in Tehran, estimates that sanctions have increased the company's cost by 30 percent, the Wall Street Journal quoted Najaf Pezeshkian, an adviser at the company as saying.
However, the surging international oil price has helped Iran. Iran brought in some 54 billion U.S. dollars in oil-export revenue in the first six months of this year, compared with an estimated 57 billion dollars for all of 2007, the newspaper quoted U.S. Energy Information as saying.
Iran vows not to give up its nuclear program, insisting that isto serve peaceful purposes only.
