International sanctions against Iran
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International sanctions against Iran are a set of punitive economic and diplomatic measures imposed by the United Nations, and also unilaterally by the United States, the European Union, and numerous other countries and international bodies. These sanctions have been applied across successive decades in response to a range of Iranian policies, including its nuclear programme, alleged support for terrorism, human rights violations, and its military conduct in the Persian Gulf. Iran was the most heavily sanctioned country in the world until Russia surpassed it following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The first American sanctions were imposed in November 1979 after radical students seized the United States Embassy in Tehran. Although lifted in 1981, they were reimposed in 1987 and progressively expanded through successive US executive orders and legislation. The United Nations Security Council imposed multilateral sanctions beginning in December 2006 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737, after Iran refused to halt its uranium enrichment programme. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015 led to the lifting of most UN and multilateral sanctions in exchange for verified limits on Iran's nuclear programme, but the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018, reimposing and expanding American sanctions. In August 2025, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom triggered the JCPOA's "snapback" mechanism, resulting in the reimposition of UN sanctions on 28 September 2025.
The period from late 2025 to 2026 saw the most dramatic developments in decades. The 2025-2026 Iranian protests, triggered in part by sanctions-induced economic collapse, were violently suppressed, provoking new Western sanctions. On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeting nuclear and military infrastructure, in what became known as the 2026 Iran war. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching missile strikes across the region. A ceasefire took effect on 8 April 2026. Subsequent negotiations in Switzerland, mediated by Oman and Pakistan, led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 17 June 2026 that initiated a 60-day framework for ceasefire, sanctions relief discussions, and nuclear talks. On 22 June 2026, the US Treasury issued a 60-day waiver on sanctions on Iranian oil exports as part of the MoU's initial conditions.
The sanctions had significant effects on Iran's economy, contributing to currency depreciation, high inflation, declining oil revenues, and restrictions on access to the international financial system. Banking and financial restrictions also complicated the import of humanitarian goods, including medicines, despite formal exemptions for such trade. Analysts, humanitarian organisations, and UN experts have debated the humanitarian consequences of the sanctions, while the United States and its allies have maintained that sanctions constituted the principal non-military means of pressuring Iran over its nuclear programme and regional activities.