Anarms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:

• to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor
• to maintain neutrality in an ongoing conflict
• as a peace mechanism that is part of apeace process to resolve an armed conflict^[1]
• to limit the ability of an actor to inflict violence on others
• to weaken a country's military capabilities before aforeign intervention

US PresidentJimmy Carter imposed an arms embargo on themilitary government of Argentina in 1977 in response tohuman rights abuses.^[2]

An arms embargo was put in place, along with other economic sanctions by theEuropean Economic Community (EEC), within a week of the1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands byArgentina, twoBritish dependent territories in theSouth Atlantic.^[3] The European nations ended the embargo after the end of the ensuingFalklands War, and Argentina looked to Western European countries and Israel for arms supplies during the US embargo until it was lifted in 1989.^[2]

The US government imposed an arms embargo againstIndonesia in 1999 because of human rights violations inEast Timor. The embargo was lifted in 2005.

TheUnited States imposed economic sanctions againstIran following theIranian Revolution in 1979. However, to secure the release of American hostages, several seniorReagan administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran in the 1980s in a scandal called theIran–Contra affair.^[4] In 1995, the USexpanded sanctions to include firms dealing with the Iranian government.^[5]

In March 2007,UN Security Council Resolution 1747 tightened thesanctions imposed on Iran in connection with theIranian nuclear program. The sanctions were lifted on 16 January 2016.

In September 2020, US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo announced the imposition of an arms embargo on the IranianMinistry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics and other entities involved in Iran's nuclear program, including the government of the disputed Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro for providing weapons to Iran.^[6]

On 18 October 2020, Iran announced that theUnited Nations conventional arms embargo imposed on the country in 2007 had expired. The embargo had barred Iran from purchasing arms, including tanks and fighter jets, from foreign nations. The embargo was lifted as per the conditions underIran's 2015 nuclear deal with world leaders, despite US objections.^[7][8]

During 2024, due to thegenocide in Gaza, several countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands and Belgium have ceased the sale of weapons to Israel.^[9][10][11] Key US allies such as Britain and France are debating it.^[12]However the United States and Germany as the major suppliers of Israel's arms imports keep supplying lethal weapons in spite of growing criticism of the mounting civilian casualties.^[9][10]On May 20, 2025, Spain’s parliament has voted to enshrine in law an arms embargo on Israel that the prime minister,Pedro Sánchez, introduced to end “the genocide in Gaza”. During the vote to approve the decision, 178 members of parliament voted in favor, and 169 members of parliament from the right and far-Right voted against the proposal. The Spanish arms embargo would completely prevent the sale of weapons to Israel and the purchase of Israeli weapons by Spain.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]}

The United States and theEuropean Union stopped exporting arms toChina after 1989 after the suppression ofprotests in Tiananmen Square. In 2004 and 2005, there was some debate in the EU over whether to lift the embargo.^[19][20]

On 1 December 2023 after 31 years theUnited Nations Security Council lifted the longestarms embargo on theSomali Armed Forces and theSomali federal government, while continuing sanctions against theAl-Shabaab militant group.^[21][22]

UN Security Council Resolution 418 applied an arms embargo ofSouth Africa in 1977 on dual-use items. The embargo was lifted byResolution 919 in 1994.

To protest theVietnam War,Sweden imposed an arms embargo on the United States in 1966.^{[23][better source needed]} That notably deprivedNavy SEALs of theCarl Gustav m/45 submachine gun, which resulted in the creation of theSmith & Wesson M76.

The countries included in the list are under arms embargo of theUN or another international organization such as theEU and theOSCE and others) or a country. In some cases the arms embargo is supplemented by a generaltrade embargo, othersanctions (financial), ortravel ban for specific persons. In some cases, the arms embargo applies to any entity residing or established in the country, but in others. it is partial with the recognized government's forces and internationalpeacekeepers being exempted from the embargo.

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (non-governmental forces byUN, EU),^[24] 2003/1993–
• Haiti (by UN),^[25] 2022–
• Iraq (non-governmental forces byUN, EU),^[26] 2004–
• Libya (byUN, EU) 2011–^[27][1]
• North Korea (byUN, EU),^[28] arms andluxury goods, 2006–
• Lebanon (non-governmental forces byUN, EU),^[29] 2006–
• South Sudan (by UN) 2018–
• Sudan (byUN, EU),^[30] 2004/1994– (UN/EU)
• Yemen (by UN, EU),^[25] 2015–

• Eritrea (byUN, EU),^[31] 2010–2018
• Guinea (by EU),^[32] 2009–2014^[25]
• Iran (byUN, EU),^[33] 2006–2020^[7]
• Ivory Coast (byUN, EU),^[34] 2004–2016^[35]
• Rwanda (by UN inResolution 918 and EU)^[36] (UN: 1994–2008, EU^{[citation needed]})
• Sierra Leone (by UN and EU),^[37] 1997–2010^[38]
• Somalia (byUN, EU),^[39] 1992/2002–2023 (UN/EU)^[40]
• Yugoslavia (by UN inResolution 713 and EU)^[41] (UN/EU: September 1991)^[42][43]
• Central African Republic (by UN, EU),^[44][45] 2013–2024

• Argentina (by theUnited Kingdom)^[46][47] 1982–
• Armenia (by OSCE),^[48] 1992–
• Azerbaijan (by OSCE),^[48] 1992–
• Belarus (by EU),^[25] 2011–
• Cuba (by US),^[49] 1958–
• Egypt (by EU),^[25] 2013–
• Myanmar (by EU),^[50] 1990–
• People's Republic of China (by EU/US),^[51][52] 1989–
• Venezuela (by EU),^[25] 2017–
• Syria (by the Arab League),^[25] 2011–
• Zimbabwe (by EU),^[53] 2002–
• Israel (by Spain),^[54] 2025-

• Syria (by EU),^[55] 2011–2013^[56]
• Turkey (by US) 1975–1978^[57]
• Uzbekistan (by EU),^[58] 2005–2009^[59]
• Vietnam (by US) 1984–1995

• Arms control
• Arms Export Control Act (United States)
• Arms industry

• Hellström, Jerker (2010) "The EU Arms Embargo on China: a Swedish Perspective", Swedish Defence Research Agency
• US Bureau of Industry and Security
• UK Current Arms Embargoes and Other Restrictions
• European Commission CFSP Sanctions
• SIPRI database of multilateral arms embargoes since 1950

• Arms control
• Economic sanctions
• Peace mechanisms

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