Under what circumstances are international sanctions most commonly used?

International sanctions are most commonly used to change behavior or pressure a regime for specific outcomes. This is primarily because sanctions are a tool employed by countries or international organizations to compel a target nation to alter its policies, practices, or activities that are deemed unacceptable or harmful. Sanctions can take various forms, such as economic restrictions, trade embargoes, or travel bans, and they function by creating a significant economic or political cost to the target country, thereby incentivizing a change in behavior.

The goal of these sanctions often aligns with a desire to promote human rights, maintain international peace and security, or deter aggression or illegal actions. For example, sanctions may be imposed on a country that is violating international laws or engaging in activities such as terrorism, human rights abuses, or nuclear proliferation. By intensifying economic pressures, the imposing party hopes to motivate the sanctioned country to engage in dialogue or negotiation to resolve the underlying issues.

Other circumstances listed, such as seeking to expand influence or encouraging diplomacy through negotiation, do not accurately capture the primary purpose of sanctions. While diplomacy can involve sanctions as a component of broader strategies, the essence of sanctions is to compel a change rather than merely to foster discussions or influence expansion per se. Furthermore, when trade relations are already strong,