The sanctions illusion

Economic sanctions, such as those recently imposed by the United States on Iran, are often portrayed as a precise tool to influence ruling elites while sparing ordinary citizens. However, this narrative overlooks the harsh reality that these sanctions disproportionately burden the very people they intend to pressure. In a new study, researchers analyzed the impact of US-led 2012 SWIFT financial sanctions on Iranian households, revealing that poorer households suffered up to 2.8 times more economic harm than wealthier households, losing 13% to 42% of their pre-sanctions purchasing power.

The study found that financial sanctions are regressive, exacerbating income inequality and reducing access to healthcare, education, and basic necessities. Workers in sectors heavily reliant on imported goods and foreign currency also bore a disproportionate share of the burden. Despite these documented harms, authoritarian regimes often shield themselves from the economic consequences.

The study argues that sanctions' widespread civilian harm challenges their ethical legitimacy, suggesting that diplomatic alternatives with lower humanitarian costs should be prioritized.