Iran is one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, with sanctions regimes imposed by the United States, United Nations and the European Union (EU). The combination of sanctions on Iran in response to human rights violations, support for terrorist organizations, and nuclear and ballistic missile activities provides for a sanctions environment that is highly complex and difficult to navigate. The comprehensive US primary and secondary sanctions imposed prior to the agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and after the US withdrawal from the agreement in particular, have resulted in humanitarian consequences for the Iranian population. The EU’s move to impose more comprehensive sanctions in the years prior to the JCPOA also presented a significant policy shift and reinvigorated European debates on the possible limitations and humanitarian impact of EU sanctions.