To this portion, of course, Iran is claiming that the sanctions are hurting people. They use this alibi to put pressure on western countries to remove the sanctions.
First of all, even the sanctions are not blanket sanctions. They are targeted sanctions. Even in the worst-case scenarios, they are still targeted sanctions. Nevertheless, I will give you a very practical example.
After the JCPOA—the nuclear deal—was signed between Iran and the western countries, $150 billion was given to the Iranian regime. Did the Iranian currency change in value even an iota? No. All that money was spent on improving the arsenal of Hezbollah or other terrorist entities in the region, as well as the wars in Yemen and Iraq and so forth. Unfortunately, not a single penny.... I'm not exaggerating that.
During these years after the JCPOA was signed, we had an earthquake in western Iran, in Kermanshah. People are still living in shacks in temporary shelters while beside them, convoys of arms are going to Iraqi militias. The people say they are still living in these shambles and ask why the government is not supporting them.
The solution for Iran is not economy. The solution is a political solution. Indeed, don't even quote to me the current presidential candidates in their debate—the so-called debate. Every one of them has accused another one of embezzling billions of dollars. Again, this is very much in the public eye.
The solution to Iran is not relieving sanctions, because sanction relief goes into the pockets of the leaders, not to the poorest people in Iran. That's why we see the Baluchis and the Kurds doing the most difficult jobs on earth just to pay for their basic necessities.