Sanctions, a form of collective punishment, kill. Although sanctions are not physical weapons of war, they are just as lethal, if not more.

Current US sanctions on Iran have done much more than destabilize the country’s health system: they have destroyed the Iranian currency and thrown many Iranians into poverty, which has resulted in many people not having access to food, housing, and water.

Starving the population to achieve political goals is not only illegal under international law, but it is also barbaric. Therefore, the global health community needs to see and treat these sanctions for what they are—war crimes—and hold those imposing these sanctions truly accountable. Otherwise, the likelihood of ever achieving global (health) justice will remain exceedingly small.