For example, US hostages were taken in a widely publicized hostage crisis in Tehran in 1979. In addition, the US claims Iran has been actively developing weapons of mass destruction, mainly nuclear weapons. The question is what is the best way to deal with these tensions. The most extreme course of action would be the use of force. In recent years, the most common alternative to the use of force is the use of economic sanctions .
Economic sanctions are rules about what kind of trade can go on between nations.
The United States is the world's strongest economy. This economic power puts the United States in a position to bully other countries . If the US refuses to trade with Iran, then all US products become unavailable, and Iran is forced to find these products somewhere else, or do without them entirely. In addition, Iran cannot sell any of its products to the US or its citizens. This policy is intended to have a crippling effect on Iran's economy, and in this way force the government to give in to US demands.