The US oscillates b/w sanctionistan & waiveristan

Acronyms for “SANCTIONS” (U.S. Style) include: Strategic Application of National Constraints To Influence Other Nations’ Sovereignty; Systematic Asset Nullification Creating Trade Isolation Over Noncompliant States; and Surveillance And Nudging Countries Toward Imperial Objectives, Not Sovereignty. These reflect the layered logic of U.S. sanctions—coercive, financial, and ideological.

- By Dr O Prasada Rao Scientist (Retd) CSIR

Sanctions are Washington's tool for projecting power without boots on the ground. They serve to: target regimes linked to terrorism, nuclear proliferation, or cybercrime; pressure governments to change behavior (e.g., Iran, Russia); cut access to global financial systems, especially the dollar; and appease domestic voters or lobbying groups. The Stimson Centre notes that the second Trump administration reinforced the belief that U.S. leadership is indispensable for global stability.