Iran's economy long was hobbled by years of sanctions over its nuclear program, sparked by Western fears that Tehran could use it to build a nuclear weapon. Iran has long denied having ambitions to build atomic bombs. Other sanctions date to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran; the country also faced economic troubles amid and after its devastating 1980s war with Iraq.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 27, 2018 01:52 UTC