Key facts
- US President Donald Trump called for new sanctions on Iran amid fresh US strikes.
- Sanctions have been imposed for reasons including Iran's nuclear program, human rights record, and support for regional groups.
- The US first imposed sanctions in 1979 following the Iran hostage crisis.
- Most nuclear-related sanctions were lifted in 2016 under the JCPOA but reintroduced by the US in 2018.
- The UN, EU, and UK have also imposed sanctions on Iran.
- Sanctions have severely impacted Iran's economy, oil trade, and access to the international financial system.
US President Donald Trump has called for additional sanctions against Iran, referencing a bill that targets Russia financially for its invasion of Ukraine. This move comes amid fresh US strikes on Iran and highlights one of the broadest sanction programs imposed by Western nations.
Sanctions have been implemented for various reasons, including Iran's alleged nuclear weapons development, its human rights record, and its support for regional groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. These measures have significantly restricted Iran's ability to trade oil and access the international financial system, causing considerable economic damage over the years. Currently, sanctions serve as a key bargaining chip in negotiations aimed at de-escalating tensions and pressuring Tehran to scale back its nuclear program.
The US first imposed sanctions on Iran in November 1979 following the seizure of the US Embassy and 52 American hostages. Initially, these measures froze over $8 billion in Iranian assets held in US banks and included a ban on US imports of Iranian goods and services. While sanctions were eased in 1981 under the Algiers Accords to end the hostage crisis, the US reimposed an arms embargo in 1984, designating Iran a "state sponsor of terror" after the bombing of American and French barracks in Beirut, which Washington linked to Hezbollah.
Over the subsequent decades, US sanctions expanded due to concerns about Iran's nuclear program. In 1995, President Bill Clinton issued executive orders banning all US trade and investment with Iran. The Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 targeted foreign firms investing in Iran's energy sector, effectively cutting off much of Iran's global oil trade through secondary sanctions. This act has been repeatedly renewed.