On the second day of the Tehran Dialogue Forum, a panel of international experts, diplomats, and academics sharply criticized unilateral sanctions, particularly those by the United States, as violations of international law with devastating human consequences.
 

UN Expert: Sanctions Unjust and Harmful to Civilians
Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, called sanctions on Iran “unjust and disproportionate,” arguing they harm ordinary people, not just governments. She urged global recognition of the legal, economic, and humanitarian toll these measures inflict.
 

Iranian Diplomat: Sanctions Undermine Global Order
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Baharvand said unilateral sanctions violate the UN Charter and amount to collective punishment. He warned that they not only damage economies but also corrode international norms and human dignity. Baharvand called for alternative global financial systems and stronger responses from international bodies and essential industries.
 

Cuban Scholar: US Sanctions Are Extraterritorial Overreach
Raúl Rodríguez, head of the Center for Hemispheric and US Studies, denounced the extraterritorial reach of US sanctions, noting their crippling impact on healthcare in Iran and Cuba. He likened such actions to economic warfare, stressing that no nation has the right to impose punitive measures on others.
 

Iranian Academic: Despite Sanctions, Iran Stands Firm
University of Tehran professor Fuad Izadi echoed criticism of US policy, labeling it colonial and complicit in broader human rights abuses. He noted the severe toll on academia, trade, and health but emphasized Iran’s resilience. Izadi warned against repeating Libya’s path of capitulation, which led to chaos.
 

Speakers agreed that sanctions—far from being targeted—inflict broad human suffering and pose a direct threat to international law, economic justice, and human rights.