Countries use embargoes to punish and deter objectionable behavior without resorting to military force, often in response to human rights violations and armed conflict. A … See more

The U.S. has imposed long-running and comprehensive trade embargoes on Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria, countries whose policies it finds particularly objectionab… See more

Embargoes rarely result in a change in policy, much less in the targeted country’s government. For example, the U.S. embargo on Cuba, in effect since 1962, has failed to ou… See more

In addition to their limited likelihood of prompting a policy change by the targeted country, embargoes have been criticized for hurting subject populations with no role in setting or c… See more