U.S. Sanctions Zigzag in New World of Economic Warfare

 

“Recently, the Pentagon said U.S. military forces stopped and boarded one more sanctioned tanker carrying oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean.

 

“But blockades are not quick fixes,” Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank in Washington said. She has argued that Iran can probably withstand the pressure because they work slowly.

 

The global blockade raises legal and operational questions because it has no geographical boundaries. And the United States can only seize so many ships, suggesting the practical impact could be “marginal,” she argued, while at the same time degrading the U.S. reputation as an upholder of the international order, since many countries view such seizures as piracy.

 

Edward Fishman, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that the haphazard use of sanctions by the United States reflects how economic and military warfare are merging. “We don't have a playbook for this kind of economic warfare, which may help explain some of the fumbling by the United States,” Mr. Fishman said.” [1]

 

1. U.S. Sanctions Zigzag in New World of Economic Warfare. Rappeport, Alan; Livni, Ephrat.  New York Times (Online) New York Times Company. Apr 26, 2026.