The latest rounds of sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program have been condemned by human rights groups as an unmitigated disaster for Iran.
But as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to escalate its war on Iran, its own experts are saying that the sanctions are actually doing more harm than good.
The latest sanctions against the country have been denounced as “informational writing” by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the U.N. special rapporteur on Iran.
The group also cited a recent report by Amnesty’s Iran office that concluded that the Iranian regime “has consistently violated the rights of people and organizations in violation of international law.”
But according to the Washington Post, the sanctions have been criticized by some experts as ineffective and “unnecessary.”
“The latest round has done absolutely nothing to address the Iranian government’s serious violations of human rights and the rights to life and freedom of expression, including those stemming from its support of the Houthi rebels,” wrote Philip Giraldi, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights First, in an article published Tuesday.
“These sanctions have not led to the dismantling of Iran’s illicit nuclear activities or to the reduction of its stockpile of uranium and plutonium.”
The sanctions, Giraldi added, “have had no discernible impact on Iran’s ability to pursue its nuclear program.”
And the U tome added that the new sanctions have “done nothing to stem Iran’s continuing support for groups and individuals who are engaged in acts of violence and terror against Iran’s civilian population.”
The latest series of sanctions targeted Iranian banks, a wide range of businesses, the country’s oil industry, and companies that support the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other military factions.
These sanctions are the latest in a series of steps taken by Trump’s government to impose economic sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Trump’s new sanctions on Iran have been in the works for months, with the first round targeting banks and businesses in January.
The Treasury Department announced the new measures in July, stating that the Trump administration was “increasingly concerned” about Iran’s “unsubstantiated and destabilizing activities.”
These new sanctions are not the first time the Trump White House has taken measures against Iran, and they are not likely to be the last.
In September, the administration also announced sanctions against companies that help Iran maintain its nuclear facilities.
But according the New York Times, these measures were not the only ones Trump’s White House was taking against Iran.
In February, Trump announced that the Treasury Department was cracking down on Iran for selling oil, including oil from areas that have been occupied by Houthi fighters.
Iran has been trying to sell oil in the area since the Iran-Saleh conflict in the 1990s, according to The New York Post.
The Trump administration has also announced new sanctions against entities involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program, a move that may be seen as retaliation for recent ballistic missile tests by Iran.
And Trump also has ordered the U,S.
to step up pressure on Iran in its relationship with Israel, saying that if it doesn’t comply with U.S. demands, the U will impose new sanctions.
“We are determined to pressure Iran into giving up its ballistic missile capabilities and its nuclear ambitions,” Trump said during his State of the Union address in January, adding that “we will be relentless and relentless in doing so.”
But the Trump Administration has not yet made a final decision on whether or not to impose additional sanctions on the Iranian economy.
And the Treasury has not announced the number of firms that will be hit with new sanctions, and it is unclear whether or when additional sanctions will be imposed on other Iranian entities.
This latest round, however, has sparked outrage from human rights organizations and analysts.
The U.K.-based Human Rights Law Center said the new round of U.H.s sanctions against banks and other business entities in the United States was “inconsistent with the international human rights obligations that have underpinned the international banking system since the inception of the modern international financial system.”
In the United Kingdom, the Human Rights Legal Centre said the sanctions were “an unmitigate disaster for the United Nations, which has consistently pursued a policy of engagement with Iran that has been based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the rule and dignity of human beings.”
In response to Trump’s announcement, the Iranian Embassy in London issued a statement saying the new rounds of UH sanctions were the “wrong response to the legitimate demands of international communities and countries.”
“We reiterate that these sanctions are contrary to the international law, the international consensus on human rights violations, and our international commitments,” the statement continued.
“This is an unacceptable move that is aimed at hurting the economy and people of Iran.”
The United States is not the sole country that is taking measures against the Iranian financial system, and many other countries are taking similar actions.
In December, the European Union,