Sanctions

Sanctions are penalties one government imposes on another country, or on specific companies, banks, and individuals within it, cutting them off from trade, banking systems, or travel rather than resorting to military action. They can be broad, freezing a country's access to a currency or banking network entirely, or narrow, targeting a handful of officials' assets. Sanctions can hurt the country being targeted badly, but they also carry real costs for the countries imposing them and the businesses caught in between, which is why they're often used as leverage in a negotiation rather than a permanent policy.