International Relations Researches

International Relations Researches

Impacts of Iran's Energy Sanctions in U.S. Hybrid Warfare Strategy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Political Science, ST. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Political Science & International Relations, ST. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/irr.2026.592562.2882
Abstract
Energy sanctions, as one of the most efficient instruments of U.S. hybrid warfare against the Islamic Republic of Iran, inflicted profound and multi-layered impacts on the country's economic and social structures. The present study aimed to examine the utilization of energy sanctions within the framework of hybrid warfare strategy and its economic and social consequences for Iranian society. The research method was analytical-descriptive, based on qualitative content analysis of library sources, employing inductive logic and matching of theoretical indicators with empirical evidence. The findings revealed that by focusing on the energy sector as the vital artery of Iran's economy, the United States reduced the country's foreign exchange earnings from $51 billion in 2018 to near zero in 2020, drove inflation above 46% in 2022, and decreased the middle-class share from 78% to 56%. Nevertheless, data analysis indicated that energy sanctions, despite success in economic attrition, failed to bring about a fundamental change in Iran's political behavior, and institutional resilience coupled with the utilization of regional capacities exposed the inherent limitations of economic instruments in hybrid warfare. The inherent paradox of this warfare lies in the fact that instruments which apparently exert the most effective economic pressure can simultaneously reinforce the institutional resilience of the target state and deepen social inequalities.
Keywords


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 August 2026