The U.S. Is Ramping Up Economic Warfare. Its Enemies Aren't Blinking.
The U.S. has unleashed more than 1,000 sanctions on Iran over the past 18 months as part of its wider campaign to squeeze Tehran into submission. Iran’s ability to withstand those sanctions so far exposes a hard fact for Washington: Economic pressure has largely failed to cow rogue regimes, as they game out more ways to sidestep U.S. restrictions.
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Iran is keen for relief from U.S. sanctions, which have severely hurt its economy and triggered popular discontent that could threaten the regime’s long-term survival. Even so, Iran’s government has found ways to keep generating billions of dollars in revenue, mainly by selling oil to China, despite U.S. sanctions, weakening Washington’s leverage in the talks. Ultimately, President Trump’s White House was forced to physically blockade Iran’s ports to stem its oil exports—which earned Tehran an estimated $43 billion in 2024—and bring it to the negotiating table.
While Washington might still achieve its goals in Iran, analysts say Tehran still holds many of the cards—including its control over the Strait of Hormuz—and may be able to resist U.S. demands, especially as it rakes in more money from oil sales.
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Typically, those sanctions aim to cut off targets from the U.S. financial system, turning them into economic pariahs and threatening companies that dare to trade with them.
Yet North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program, and the regime is wealthier than ever. Russia’s economy has suffered greatly since its war with Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin still pursues the conflict. In Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro survived sanctions for a decade, and was only removed when U.S. forces physically dragged him from power. Myanmar, another sanctioned nation, is still run by a military junta. Cuba’s government is hanging on despite sanctions, though it has shown willingness to negotiate with Washington as foreign businesses flee.
Everyday citizens have borne most of the brunt of sanctions in these countries, while their governments resist change.
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