When have economic sanctions ever had a beneficial outcome? I cannot think of one single example in history where the government-directed cessation of normal commercial activity between two countries has, on its own, produced the result desired by either the sanctioner, or (to coin a phrase) the sanctionee.
Unilateral trade embargoes are either abandoned after much suffering and loss of material value on both sides, or lead to military conflict, which of course increases the suffering.
From recent and contemporary history there is the egregious example of Iraq. Decades of UN and US-sponsored sanctions made no difference to the regime of Saddam Hussein, which callously passed on the suffering to its people while engaging in covert sanctions-busting itself to ensure a steady flow of luxuries for its cronies.
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