A lot of people hear 'the US put sanctions on Iran' and think that must mean the US won't trade with Iran anymore, and that's the US's right, the same way any country could stop trading with any other country. But the reality is when the US decides to use its control of the financial system to pressure other countries, it means that no one can easily trade with Iran - and that's the point often left unsaid in pieces that discuss sanctions.

Policy researcher Kevin Cashman examines the deadly mechanisms of US sanctions - as the Trump administration uses its control of the world banking system to crash Iran's oil exports and cripple the country's economy, US policies are directly creating a collective humanitarian disaster killing the sick, poor and most vulnerable people in Iranian society.

Kevin co-wrote the article US Sanctions Are Designed to Kill with Cavan Kharrazian for Jacobin.