Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday accused the United States and its allies of imposing sanctions that cause mass casualties, citing a study he said showed they may be as deadly as armed conflict.

“Western regimes have long claimed that sanctions are a bloodless alternative to war,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media platform X. “Reality check: New study by The Lancet says unilateral sanctions, particularly by the US, may be as lethal as war. 500+k lives claimed annually since 1970s, mostly children and the elderly.”

Araghchi called for international recognition of sanctions as crimes against humanity and urged targeted countries to unite against them.

“It is high time for inhumane sanctions imposed by the US and its accomplices to be recognized as crimes against humanity,” he said. “Targeted nations should coordinate efforts to forge unified and collective response.”

The remarks come as Iran faces the potential reimposition of United Nations sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, with European powers warning of action if Tehran does not return to talks by the end of August.