Geopolitical Economy Report Economic war: US boasts of "collapsing" Iran's economy with sanctions
Feb 7, 2026
A deep dive into how modern warfare uses sanctions, financial pressure, and dollar dominance to target nations. Discussion of U.S. campaigns to crash currencies, block oil exports, and squeeze economies. Examination of the human toll, claims of intentional economic collapse, and international legal objections. Conversation ends with ways to help civilians affected by unilateral measures.
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Sanctions As Lethal Warfare
- Economic sanctions function as a form of warfare that can be deadlier than conventional war.
- A Lancet study linked U.S./EU sanctions to over 560,000 deaths per year on average from 1971–2021.
Maximum Pressure Targets Iran
- U.S. policy has long aimed to destabilize Iran by crushing its economy through sanctions.
- Trump escalated this with a "maximum pressure" campaign paired with threats and military deployments.
US Official Boasts Of Causing Collapse
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly boasted the sanctions were "designed to collapse" Iran's economy.
- He credited sanctions with causing currency collapse, dollar shortages, bank failures, and inflation that spurred protests.