US Economic Warfare Against Iran: Not Just Sanctions, But Potential War Crimes
Legal experts speaking to The New Arab on April 2, 2026, have indicated that the widespread and long-standing US economic sanctions against Iran, particularly those impacting civilian access to essential goods like medicine and food, may constitute war crimes. This assessment challenges the prevailing narrative that sanctions are merely a diplomatic tool, instead framing them as a direct assault
on a population. Mainstream outlets, including those reporting on these expert opinions, consistently frame sanctions as a 'non-military' or 'soft power' approach to foreign policy, omitting the devastating humanitarian impact. They present these measures as a legitimate response to alleged Iranian transgressions, a unilateral punishment that sidesteps international legal frameworks. This framing
obscures the economic suffocation of an entire nation, allowing politicians to claim a moral high ground while the populace suffers. This isn't a new strategy. The US has imposed a continuous embargo on Cuba since 1962, a campaign of economic warfare that has cost the Cuban economy an estimated $159 billion over six decades. Similarly, the 2019 US-backed coup in Bolivia, driven by corporate
interests in the country's vast lithium reserves, demonstrates a consistent pattern: economic leverage is routinely deployed as a weapon, often with disastrous consequences for civilian populations. While the US often cites national security, the real impetus often lies in controlling resources or maintaining regional hegemony. The UN Human Rights Office has repeatedly called for the lifting of