Sanctions against Iran and Cuba are often driven by political motives rather than genuine security concerns. Neither country poses a significant threat to its neighbors. For example, Iran, despite its harsh rhetoric against Israel, has not engaged in any significant hostile activities. As a recent example, U.S. officials have [stated][1] that they could not find a direct link between the October 7 Hamas attacks and Iran. In fact, Iran has primarily been a victim of terrorism, with several of its [scientists][2] and high-level [military personnel][3] assassinated by Israel. In return, Iran has not caused any human casualties at all. They have merely set up a harmless countdown [counter][4] in one of their squares or conducted restricted military operations with [prior notice][5]. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/us/politics/iran-israel-gaza-hamas-us-intelligence.html [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nuclear_scientists