Iran has faced economic sanctions for decades, The decision to nationalize Iran's oil industry led to the first set of sanctions against the country. However, after the Islamic Revolution, the sanctions took on a new level.

Following the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, President Carter, using the "Arms Export Control Act," seized a ship carrying military spare parts destined for Iran. In 1980, Carter issued an executive order (No. 12205) that prohibited the sale and supply of any goods and services to Iran, except for food and medicine. Additionally, Executive Order No. 12211 in 1980 banned the import of any goods from Iran.

When Bill Clinton became president in 1992, the relationship between Iran and the United States entered a new phase. Clinton signed Executive Order No. 12957, which prohibited certain transactions related to Iran's oil resources. He also approved the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA), which imposed penalties on non-U.S. companies investing in Iran’s oil and gas sector. Following these sanctions, all American and non-American companies were forbidden from investing more than $20 million in Iran.

After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States took significant steps claiming to fight terrorism. President George W. Bush signed a law allowing the freezing of assets and properties belonging to both legal entities and individuals who supported terrorist activities. Some Iranian banks as Sepah and Meli, as well as individuals linked to the defense industry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), being added to the sanctions list.

Simultaneously, Iran’s efforts to reach peaceful nuclear energy technology triggered new sanctions. These measures reached a peak during Barack Obama’s presidency, characterized as “smart sanctions,” and continued into Donald Trump’s term as “maximum pressure.” Not to forget that Europe aligned itself with the West in applying pressure to the Islamic Republic during this period.

Throughout all these years, the West has consistently claimed that medicine, food, and humanitarian aid are not subject to sanctions. However, in practice, restrictions on money transfers and bank transactions have resulted in difficulties.

Sanction impacts caused Elena Douhan, the United Nations’ special rapporteur, to acknowledge in her report that the sanctions are illegal.

In recent years, we heard many times about the severe effects of sanctions on the health and medical sectors. For instance, I can mention butterfly children (patients with epidermolysis bullosa), which led Sweden to withhold the sale of specialized wound dressings for these patients to Iran. Even during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries refused to sell vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment to Iran.

The recent flood in Sistan and Baluchestan brought an idea to my mind that examines on impact of sanctions on relief operations. As soon as I went to flood flood-affected area, I saw Mohammadhossein Kobadi, the manager of the operational teams at the Relief and Rescue Organization. he organized and dispatched rescue teams, demonstrating unwavering commitment without any hesitation. I encountered him at the crisis station in Chabahar, I told him about my report on the impact of sanctions on relief operations. He as a professional diver who had previously swum 1050 kilometers in the waters of the Persian Gulf, he pointed out an example relevant to my work: diving suits. Kobadi emphasized that standard diving suits for water rescue are crucial, but unfortunately, due to sanctions, they are imported at higher prices. However, he clarified that apart from specific cases such as night vision helicopters or ambulance motors, which face even greater difficulties in import due to sanctions, other equipment eventually gets procured through intermediaries. Nevertheless, the critical issue remains that due to high costs and extended delivery times, sometimes the quantity of equipment is insufficient.

Alireza Jafari, a dedicated member of the rapid response team (RRT) from Yazd province. He told me most of his missions are related to Mountain Search and Rescue. So standard equipment including suitable footwear and sturdy harnesses are non-negotiable.

Jafari showed me his shoes and said that about 5 years ago specialized and standard footwear was imported easily into the country, Red Crescent Society gave us by itself. But times have changed. The intensified sanctions have shifted everything. Now, he personally buys each pair of shoes. Since these are not standard one, Jafari had to buy a new one time to time.

On the final day of my presence in the flood-affected region, I crossed paths with Mr. Ehsan Ghaderi, a dedicated rescuer based in Chabahar. Curious about the impact of sanctions, I posed a crucial question: Were there any shortages of essential equipment necessary for flood response in this area?

Ghaderi’s response was both enlightening and concerning. Among the vital tools needed for flood relief, the Gemini boat stood out. He explained unfortunately, there exists only a single such boat locally, and during this flood, they had to requisition an additional four boats from neighboring regions as Hamoon and Zabol. Although still they fill some shortages.

In the pre-Trump era, these boats flowed into the country effortlessly, their prices reasonable. But now sanction make it a herculean task.

In addition to the challenges of equipment procurement, there are instances where a single malfunctioning component can render an entire piece of equipment unusable. for example, the snowmobile (known as an Argo) is specifically designed for snow rescue operations. Unfortunately, due to a faulty part, it is in storage for some period.

Another dedicated rescuer from Chabahar shared another example. He explained they had Rescue 460 lifeboats, ready to use in sea rescue operations. But now this is in storage unused since they cannot replace parts and do repair.

Mohammad, a rescuer who was dispatched from Zahedan to Chabahar for this flood urged the most tangible impact of sanctions for him is related to helicopters. All their helicopters are now old and worn out, and if they break down, obtaining new parts can take days or even weeks. This is horrifying because seconds matter in rescue operations.

Another Red Crescent rescuer, based in Tehran, confirmed the impact of sanctions as his colleague. Alongside sanctions, mismanagement also contributes to challenges that cannot be ignored, he explained. For example, they have observed inappropriate distribution of resources to different provinces, resulting in delays when crises occur and aid needs to arrive from other regions.

The common point in the conversations of all these rescuers is this: while having good and standard equipment for emergency response and relief operations is crucial, ultimately, shortages or even the absence of such equipment do not deter them from doing their rescue missions. an official from the Red Crescent in Chabahar, Arash Hosseinpour shared with me that several rescuers, on the first night of the flood, plunged into action without regard for shortages. Despite the lack of resources, including an insufficient number of Gemini boats for citizen rescue, they do everything.

Western countries imposing sanctions claim that the purpose of sanctions is to target the political system to change its behavior as they say and make a separation between the people and the government. However, the reality is that sanctions have directly impacted the livelihood of ordinary Iranian citizens.