The United States primarily imposes sanctions on countries such as Iran and Cuba because they do not align with American interests. If that were not the case, why wouldn't the U.S. place sanctions on countries like Saudi Arabia [1] and Israel [2, 3], despite the abundance of reports from reputable international human rights organizations citing human rights violations in these countries? The issue of human rights is merely an excuse.

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) strictly prohibits any form of collective punishment. Therefore, the United States is legally prohibited from implementing policies that diminish the well-being of millions of ordinary citizens, even if the underlying objectives are legitimate. Although the U.S. claims that its sanctions do not affect ordinary citizens, this claim does not align with the actual situation on the ground. It is impossible to drastically reduce a country's income (by some estimates, to a third of its original value) and comfortably assert that its ordinary citizens will not be affected.

Sanctions result in economic hardship for the people within a country, which naturally leads them to seek someone to blame, often the nation imposing the sanctions. Such an environment is particularly conducive to fostering animosity towards the West, providing people with more reasons to harbor anti-American sentiments.

Countries that are subject to sanctions often perceive their policies as being moral and virtuous, and they tend to view the United States as a bully attempting to dominate the world. As a result, they are unlikely to yield to the pressure of sanctions. In fact, sanctions may fuel resentment and lead to greater rebellion within the sanctioned country, further exacerbating the situation. This was clearly evident in the case of Iran, which significantly increased its uranium enrichment program after the US withdrew from the JCPOA.

Sanctions have a far-reaching impact on society compared to military operations, affecting the lives of countless innocent people. These measures make it challenging for almost everyone in society to carry on with their daily routines, leading to a decline in their standard of living. The negative impact resulting from a shortage of crucial resources like food and medicine can persist for several decades.

Sanctions have a more prolonged impact compared to wars. While wars are undoubtedly horrendous, their effects often cease when the conflict ends. But the consequences of sanctions are often longer-lasting for two main reasons. First, the period of time over which sanctions are imposed is usually much longer than that of a military intervention. Second, some consequences of sanctions, such as malnutrition among children or untreated (or under-treated) medical conditions due to a lack of necessary medications, may manifest themselves over several decades.