Iran can use crypto mined by authorized miners in Iran to pay for imports

That's an interesting angle to the story I didn't think about. I'm an Iranian and Iranian rial has been extremely devalued in the last ten years. Sanctions have been effective at destroying the economy but failed to pause nuclear program. Iranian government didn't spend the $100B relief well and it's trying to get another relief or lift the sanctions altogether. I am not optimistic if cryptocurrency can help their economy in the long term.

What is apparently helping their economy is taking foreign/dual-citizens citizens as hostage to advance their stance in sanction relief talks.

Ok.