list the countries under western sanctions, in war zones
Justice Council Political Analysis
The sources establish two countries that are both under Western sanctions and at war: Russia, over its war in Ukraine, and Iran, which has been at war with the US and Israel since February 2026. Beyond the sources, the public record shows other Western sanctions regimes tied to armed conflict, among them Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen (the Houthis), Libya, Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. North Korea is heavily sanctioned but is not a war zone.
Only two countries in the sources are both under Western sanctions and at war: Russia, over its war in Ukraine, and Iran, which has been at war with the US and Israel since February 2026 and faces restored UN sanctions and a new US package. The sources do not cover other cases. From the wider public record, Western sanctions linked to ongoing conflicts also cover Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen's Houthis, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, often aimed at named factions rather than whole states. North Korea is heavily sanctioned but is not at war.
The remedy
A list that could be checked would need one public register of sanctions regimes by country, cross-referenced with armed-conflict data. The vetoes have removed exactly this kind of UN-level monitoring.
Sources
Research institutes
The Council on Foreign Relations reports that UN "snapback" sanctions on Iran were reimposed in September 2025. France, Germany and the UK triggered them, saying Iran had broken "the near entirety" of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA). This came months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025.
News & reporting
Reporting names Russia, over its war on Ukraine, and Iran as the main targets of new Western sanctions in 2026. In September 2026 the US Congress passed a joint sanctions package against both countries, and Switzerland adopted the EU's 20th package against Russia.