Analyzing the Humanitarian Consequences of US Sanctions against Iran with an Emphasis on Food Security and Nutrition

This paper examines the humanitarian effects of US sanctions against Iranian from the perspective of food and nutrition security and is to find appropriate answers to the two questions of: What are the signs of the threat to food security in Iran after that Washington imposed nuclear sanctions against Tehran? Why and how have the American sanctions against Iran have endangered the food security and nutrition of Iranians? This paper is descriptive-analytical type and applies inferential methodology. The findings, mainly implemented through utilizing reasoning and qualitative analysis under the “Naïve Theory” of Sanctions by Johan Galtung, show that vital humanitarian goods (including food) during the past years have been subject to the laws and regulations of sanctions against Iran, due to the impediment’s sanctions have imposed trade and transportation of goods and international financial exchanges. These restrictions increased the price of food by 200 percent, and the highest has targeted food categories (including vegetables, meat and fruits). The minimum average cost of a healthy diet for an Iranian family is 3 times more than the amount of which an Iranian family can spend on food and tobacco. The percentage of Iranian urban and rural households prone to food insecurity (very high, high and moderate) has also increased between 1396-1398, respectively from 8.84% and 25.17% to 11.2% and 29.2%.