Economics of the Middle East Research Group- CNMS

05/08/2026

We are pleased to share a new open-access publication by Professor Mohammad Reza Farzanegan and Mohamad Alkurdi Albarawi, a former student in our M.Sc. programme in Economics of the Middle East ( ).

Published in the European Journal of Political Economy, the study examines how corruption shapes the relationship between economic sanctions and domestic conflict.

Using data from 122 countries between 1996 and 2020, the authors find that trade sanctions are associated with different outcomes depending on the institutional conditions of the targeted country. In settings with higher corruption, trade sanctions are associated with more conflict-related deaths. The findings suggest that weak institutions, unequal access to scarce resources, and rent capture can translate external economic pressure into greater domestic instability.

The study highlights an important policy implication: sanctions do not operate in an institutional vacuum. Their consequences depend partly on who bears the economic losses, who controls scarce resources, and whether public institutions can protect vulnerable households.

Article:
“Destabilizing the corrupt: Economic sanctions and their conflict-inducing consequences”

Open access:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2026.102885


Centrum für Nah- und Mittelost-Studien Marburg
Philipps-Universität Marburg

18/05/2026

The war has exposed the political economy of volatility.

When chaos becomes politically useful and economically rewarding, powerful insiders can benefit from instability while ordinary citizens absorb the costs.

In an article in Project Syndicate, Prof. Farzanegan (Centrum für Nah- und Mittelost-Studien Marburg) examines how coercion, uncertainty, and private gain interact in the Iran war.

Mohammad Reza Farzanegan explains how volatility creates distorted incentives that make escalation more profitable than peace.

01/05/2026

New letter in Science: “Support besieged Iranian scientists”

A new letter by Reza Majdzadeh (University of Essex) and Mohammad Reza Farzanegan (Centrum für Nah- und Mittelost-Studien Marburg) has been published in Science.

The letter discusses the multiple and reinforcing pressures facing Iranian scientists today: military conflict, damage to research infrastructure, disruptions to electricity and telecommunications, internet shutdowns, sanctions, blocked academic payments, visa barriers, and increasing institutional isolation.

These constraints do not only affect individual researchers. They disrupt universities, limit opportunities for students, and weaken global scientific exchange.

The authors call for concrete policy responses, including humanitarian science corridors, reliable access to journals and databases, lawful channels for academic payments, and targeted support for researchers working under crisis conditions.

Protecting scientists in such environments is not only a national concern. It is essential for the integrity and continuity of global science.

Read more:

HomeScienceVol. 392, No. 6797Support besieged Iranian scientistsBack To Vol. 392, No. 6797 No accessLetter Share on Support besieged Iranian scientistsReza Majdzadeh and Mohammad Reza FarzaneganAuthors Info & AffiliationsScience30 Apr 2026Vol 392, Issue 6797p. 473DOI: 10.1126/science.aeh3242 PREVIOU...

17/04/2026

Global food security is often framed in terms of grain supply. Our new correspondence published in Nature Food shows this is incomplete.

A large share of nitrogen fertilizers, a critical input for modern agriculture, passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This creates a hidden but significant vulnerability. Disruptions in this chokepoint can simultaneously raise energy prices, fertilizer costs, and ultimately food prices.

Our evidence also highlights uneven exposure across countries. While Brazil benefits from diversified supply, countries like India and Australia rely much more heavily on this route and are therefore more vulnerable.

Strengthening global food security requires shifting attention beyond crops to input supply chains. Diversification is not optional.

Read the correspondence here:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01340-1
Centrum für Nah- und Mittelost-Studien Marburg