The Pattern Hiding in Plain Sight: The Persistent Failure of Unilateral Sanctions on Iran
Newsweek reported on October 24, 2018, that despite aggressive US sanctions, several vessels, notably a Chinese ship, have successfully passed through Iranian maritime territory. This development challenges the narrative projected by the Trump administration at the time regarding the efficacy of its economic pressure campaign against Tehran. Mainstream outlets like Newsweek largely framed these
instances as a failure of the 'blockade' to achieve its stated economic isolation goals. What this framing omits is the fundamental mischaracterization of such actions by the US as a 'blockade' in the first place, an act of war under international law. The United States has consistently presented its extensive sanctions regime as a legitimate tool of statecraft, while Iranian officials and their
allies view it as economic warfare, directly violating principles of national sovereignty and international trade. The US has leveraged its financial power to enforce extraterritorial sanctions, punishing third parties that conduct legitimate business with Iran, a practice that mirrors the 62-year-old embargo against Cuba, designed to effect regime change by impoverishing its populace. This
ongoing situation is a continuation of a longer pattern. The US unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, despite Iran's full compliance, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Following this withdrawal, the US imposed what it termed 'the strongest sanctions in history' on Iran. This strategy, however, consistently fails to acknowledge