When the US places sanctions on countries, it’s not because they are refusing to cooperate with the world, it’s because they are refusing to cooperate with America or the West. Why does the world have to listen to what the US wants, even if it comes at the expense of other countries? Who will hold the US accountable when it breaks the laws the UN has set in place?

Unfortunately, the West has a troubling history of exploiting other countries. A recurring theme in political campaigns organized by hardliners in countries like Iran and Cuba is to remind people of this history and caution them against the possibility of its recurrence. Initiatives that deprive individuals of essential necessities such as food and medicine, and lead to the suffering of people and their loved ones, create an environment where negative perceptions of the West are significantly reinforced. A prominent example of this is the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, which resulted in the conservative party in Iran overwhelmingly winning the subsequent presidential election. This starkly contrasts the preceding presidential election in the country, where a moderate party, supportive of dialogue and diplomacy with the West, had won by a significant margin.

Military action would lead to thousands of lost lives, but sanctions would not only also lead to thousands of lost lives due to lack of basic needs such as medicine and food, but they would also diminish the quality of life for millions of innocent individuals on a large scale. The negative impacts of sanctions, such as malnutrition, can have long-term consequences that may persist for several decades and affect future generations.

Most countries agree to the US’s sanctions because they are scared to refuse them. If a country does not comply with the US’s sanctions, then that country will face the economic and military might of the West. The technical term for it is secondary sanctions that target non-U.S. people and companies. Here is one example.

What wrongful actions have these countries undertaken to warrant such harsh repercussions from the Western nations? In large part, these penalties are being imposed because these nations aspire to self-govern based on their own interests and values, rather than aligning with those of Western nations—a direction that the Western countries find unfavorable. It's essential for them to recognize that the era of colonizing and exploiting smaller nations has come to an end. To gain a deeper understanding of why the West does not have the right to punish Iran, check out this topic, specifically this viewpoint.