UN Sanctions on Iraq

The United Nations sanctions on Iraq were among the most extensive economic measures ever imposed by the Security Council. They were established by Resolution 661 (6 August 1990), four days after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and prohibited nearly all trade with Iraq, froze its foreign assets, and banned arms transfers. Resolution 670 later extended the embargo to air traffic.

After the Gulf War, Resolution 687 (April 1991) — the so-called "ceasefire resolution" — maintained sanctions and tied their lifting to Iraq's verifiable disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, monitored by UNSCOM and the IAEA. The regime also created the UN Compensation Commission to pay Gulf War reparations from Iraqi oil revenue.

Because the embargo's humanitarian impact was severe — UNICEF and others reported sharp rises in child mortality and malnutrition — the Council established the Oil-for-Food Programme under Resolution 986 (1995), which began operating in late 1996. It allowed Iraq to sell oil under UN supervision to purchase food, medicine, and civilian goods. The programme was later tainted by a major kickback and corruption scandal, documented in the 2005 Volcker Report.

In May 2002, Resolution 1409 introduced the "smart sanctions" approach, replacing blanket review with a Goods Review List targeting dual-use items while easing civilian imports.

The comprehensive regime was effectively dismantled after the 2003 US-led invasion. Resolution 1483 (May 2003) lifted most civilian sanctions, ended Oil-for-Food, and transferred oil proceeds to the Development Fund for Iraq. Residual arms restrictions and asset-freeze measures against the former regime persisted, administered by the 1518 Committee (established under Resolution 1518, 2003), which continues to oversee assets linked to Saddam Hussein's government.

The Iraq case remains a central reference point in debates over sanctions design, humanitarian exemptions, and the shift from comprehensive to targeted measures.