Research Article

SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case

Volume: 9 Number: 4 December 23, 2025
TR EN

SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case

Abstract

International relations initially developed through bilateral interactions. While multilateral agreements expanded significantly after World War II, their origins predate this era, reflecting efforts to manage the international implications of sovereignty. The establishment of the League of Nations in 1919 and later the United Nations marked critical milestones in shaping multilateral cooperation. Today, multilateralism functions as a key mechanism for fostering coordination and stability in an interconnected world. International regimes and institutions enhance predictability, reduce uncertainty, facilitate negotiations, and enable cooperation across diverse issue areas. Regime theory provides a conceptual lens to explain how cooperation emerges and persists in an anarchic international system, assessing the principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures that structure collective action in fields such as trade, finance, security, and disarmament. This article examines whether the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX SAS) can be classified as an international regime within the framework of regime theory, drawing on Stephen D. Krasner’s widely recognized definition. It evaluates the institutional design and functional mechanisms of INSTEX through case studies on Iran, while offering initial references to North Korea as a potential area of expansion. Moreover, it situates INSTEX within the broader spectrum of alternative financial instruments by analytically comparing it with other special purpose vehicles (SPVs) created for similar objectives. The findings illuminate whether such mechanisms act solely as policy tools or hold the capacity to evolve into durable regimes, underscoring the critical role of political, institutional, and economic factors in shaping their sustainability and global relevance.

Keywords

References

  1. Alcaro, R. (2021). Europe’s Defence of the Iran Nuclear Deal: Less than a Success, more than a Failure. The International Spectator, 56(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2021.1876861
  2. Cardoso, F. H., & Faletto, E. (1979). Dependency and development in Latin America. University of California Press.
  3. Eichengreen, B. (2019). Globalizing capital: A history of the international monetary system. Princeton University Press.
  4. Fayazmanesh, S. (2021). The United States and Iran: Sanctions, wars and the policy of dual containment. Routledge.
  5. Geranmayeh, E., & Batmanghelidj, E. (2019). Trading with Iran via the special purpose vehicle: How it can work. European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Retrieved from.
  6. Katzman, K. (2020). Iran sanctions: Congressional research service report. Congressional Research Service.
  7. Keohane, R. O. (1984). After hegemony: Cooperation and discord in the world political economy. Princeton University Press.
  8. Krasner, S. D. (1982). Structural causes and regime consequences: Regimes as intervening variables. International Organization, 36(2), 185–205.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

European Union Economy, International Foundation, European Union, European Studies, Middle East Studies, International Security

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 23, 2025

Submission Date

March 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 4, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 9 Number: 4

APA
Akın, B. (2025). SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, 9(4), 1377-1391. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1662215
AMA
1.Akın B. SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2025;9(4):1377-1391. doi:10.30586/pek.1662215
Chicago
Akın, Bahar. 2025. “SPVs As a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 9 (4): 1377-91. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1662215.
EndNote
Akın B (December 1, 2025) SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 9 4 1377–1391.
IEEE
[1]B. Akın, “SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case”, Politik Ekonomik Kuram, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1377–1391, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.30586/pek.1662215.
ISNAD
Akın, Bahar. “SPVs As a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 9/4 (December 1, 2025): 1377-1391. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1662215.
JAMA
1.Akın B. SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2025;9:1377–1391.
MLA
Akın, Bahar. “SPVs As a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, vol. 9, no. 4, Dec. 2025, pp. 1377-91, doi:10.30586/pek.1662215.
Vancouver
1.Bahar Akın. SPVs as a Multilateral Financial and Political Solution: Evaluating the INSTEX Case. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2025 Dec. 1;9(4):1377-91. doi:10.30586/pek.1662215

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