THOUGH they are unlikely to be fully implemented before the middle of the year, the prospect of fierce new sanctions on Iran has already ratcheted up tension between the Islamic republic and the West.
"Law number 4", passed in 1963 to sanction fierce censorship, was lifted for the press in 1999.So, though books, pamphlets and posters remain under the censor's thumb, newspapers and magazines have proliferated.
He is also a fierce opponent of US sanctions against Russia, which have blocked Exxon business in places like Siberia.
It has also established fierce oil and banking sanctions, and there seem to have been at least some US cross-border operations into Iran going back to at least 2007.
The international reaction to the arrests was fierce, with the European Union applying diplomatic sanctions.
With the negotiators believed to be nearing a preliminary deal, pro-Israeli groups have mounted a fierce lobbying campaign against lifting any sanctions, saying it would threaten Israel's security.
Lowering the heat on it might do some good, if nothing else, in undermining the fierce anti-US rhetoric that threats and sanctions have produced.
A victory for the hardline conservative could influence the sanctions review, given his past fierce criticism of Western governments' demands against Iran.
Since the normalization, Cuba has also expressed fierce opposition to the Obama administration's sanctions against Venezuela and held a ceremonial meeting with North Korea's leadership in September, celebrating 55 years of positive relations.
