From Foreign Affairs · S. C. M. Paine · · 2m
What Sanctions Get Right
Sanctions outlast wars in managing global threats without costly bloodshed.
In brief
Sanctions outlast wars in managing global threats without costly bloodshed. U.S. sanctions have better long-term outcomes than military action for managing Iran and Iraq without massive casualties or economic collapse. Originally reported by Foreign Affairs.
What Sanctions Get Right
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a press conference in Washington, D.C., August 2.2026.
A Useful Tool Has Been Unjustly Maligned
The United States frequently uses sanctions to rein in malign actors but often turns to military action when results are unsatisfactory.
The Sanctions Pattern
Washington applied sanctions on Iraq for over a decade before invading in 2003 and used sanctions to pressure Iran into nuclear negotiations in the 2010s.
Why Sanctions Fail
Sanctions alone rarely make problems disappear, frustrating Americans who seek simple fixes to foreign policy issues.
The Invisible Successes
Sanctions create invisible successes like nuclear tests that never happen or shipping lanes that remain undisturbed.
The Economic Math
An economy with 3 percent growth doubles in 23 years but with 1 percent growth takes 70 years to double.
The Iraq War Consequences
The 2003 Iraq war caused over 4,000 American deaths and 200,000 Iraqi deaths with widespread instability across the Middle East.
Iran's Sanctions Impact
Iran's economy was devastated by sanctions, hobbled its military, and discouraged nuclear weapons development.
The 2015 Nuclear Deal
Tehran agreed to a nuclear deal with the U.S., China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the EU in 2015.
The 2026 Iran Conflict
U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran in 2026 failed to destroy nuclear programs and caused global economic disruption.
The Economic Toll
Iranian strikes damaged U.S. military infrastructure, destroyed 43 warplanes, and made bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia inoperable.
The Cold War Lesson
U.S. sanctions during the Cold War contained the Soviet Union by blocking its hard currency exports and high-tech imports.
The Best Option
Sanctions are a form of diplomatic chemotherapy to shrink threats without the bloodshed of war.
The Long-Term View
Sanctions outlast wars in managing global threats without costly bloodshed.
The takeaway
U.S. sanctions have better long-term outcomes than military action for managing Iran and Iraq without massive casualties or economic collapse.
