How can economic sanctions harm Iran?

Sanctions punish the entire nation. The people running the show will not experience a decrease in the quality of their lives. It’s the civilians that suffer which sucks because they’re not the ones causing problems.

Agreed, but I’m more wondering how you can impact a nation that can sell oil. Maybe the sanctions won’t harm the people because they can just sell more oil to make up the loss of revenue from the sanctions. Will the sanctions prohibit UN nations from buying oil from them? Won’t they just sell to other nations?

I suppose they could embargo but that’s an act of war. No good there.

The better idea is to address the why of their hatred to the west.

Sanctions are intended to prevent them from purchasing arms and munitions, for one thing, so that in theory they couldn’t resupply their military with (most) weapons and ammunition produced in the sanctioning countries. In addition, sanctions should prevent the importation of machine tools and other technologies and products that help them to produce those things on their own.

Anyone can and will buy the oil, and anyone can and will sell them basic commodities and other civilian-oriented products such as food and medicine.

Hmmm, I’m not convinced with a bargaining chip like discounted oil they won’t be stopped from getting technology and arms despite the sanctions.

That’s the thing about sanctions; they aren’t ever 100% effective. All a sanctioned nation needs is one trading partner (with Iraq years ago it was Jordan, for example, and Syria), and the sanction is made less effective. But it still hurts, because the transshipment costs do add up, and no one barters goods for oil: the oil is sold easily, but the goods are less easily moved.

Sure. But economic sanctions appear to be the strategy for dealing with their nuclear ambitions. We seem to agree that won’t be enough to stop them. What the hell is a reasonable approach?

You can join the Marines and storm the beaches or the diplomatic corps, and argue with other diplomats, or simply refuse to trade with Iran. Those are pretty much the options.

Oh, I suppose there’s always the nuclear option, but that’s even less credible than threatening to send the Marines.

Bleak as your suggestions sound, those are roughly what I already believe. I sincerely hope someone has a wiser idea.