Spotlight on Streamlining Iran's Trade Regime With World

More than 23 years have passed since the World Trade Organization received Iran’s application for accession on July 19, 1996. 
It took the organization nine years to accept Iran as an observer member, but the full membership has proved elusive.
Would the sanctions have been less stringent if Iran had joined WTO? This is the question Zahra Abbasi, a commerce expert, seeks to answer in a write-up for Tehran Commerce Chamber of Industries, Mines and Agriculture’s news outlet. 
“Iran’s accession to WTO has always been a matter of debate at home. Some say joining under the country’s current economic conditions, its reliance on imports and the insignificant share of non-oil exports would disadvantage domestic manufacturing industries and could lead to their closure. The WTO membership would increase reliance on imports and reduce non-oil exports,” Abbasi wrote.
“Others question whether it is possible to keep the country in a so-called freeze mode, despite the dynamics of global economy, until non-oil exports pick up or the volume of imports reaches a proper level and we decide to join WTO?”