Yes, Bessent was just bragging about this in Davos. These aren't international sanctions, they're not approved by the UN. These are unilateral sanctions by the Burger Reich and their vassals used as a form of siege warfare against Iran.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/treasurys-bessent-says-iran-facing-precarious-moment-economy-trouble-2026-01-08/

Sanctions crippled the Iranian economy. Ordinary people initially took to the streets to protest these conditions. Later, rioters backed by Israel, by Israeli admission, joined in, escalating the situation toward civil conflict and attacking mosques even when people including kids are inside and police officers. The Iranian autocratic regime then used these events as justification to suppress all protests indiscriminately.

Violence occurred on both sides, and it difficult to find fully trustworthy sources on the situation

It's connected to many different things, but mainly it's drought. They really don't have water, very close to a country-ending disaster. All other stuff are putting pressure on their ability to gain water from outside sources. And without water, a lot of industries can't function, hence a spiralling free fall towards collapse.

Water is the new oil. Time to stock up!

Because Iran is the biggest threat to israel and the US interests in the middle east, so the claims are that the mossad are instigating, escalating, and inciting violence in the streets to topple the current regime in order to put a zionist puppet in the government, just like they have in all the arab countries, the latest example is the newly appointed Syrian president who was a wanted extremist terrorist by the same government that appointed him. Can you guess which government? This is just a brief explanation, you can do your further research.