Iran's Smugglers Feel the Squeeze

摘要

One of the things that has made Iranian life tolerable under sanctions has been the flood of smuggled foreign goods. Fishermen by day, Iran's black marketers make the two-hour journey across the Strait of Hormuz after dark to Oman to bring back flat-screen televisions, cell phones, and food. The traders have plied these waters for years, risking their lives in boats ill-equipped to cross one of the busiest waterways in the world. Now rising fuel costs have increased the price of the trips, while a slide in the value of Iran's currency has made it harder to pay suppliers.