Throughout the nuclear crisis, the US, and some of its EU partners have raised the threat of UN Security Council-mandated sanctions (or of sanctions by an ad hoc coalition of countries).

Beyond measures against oil exports, potential sanctions include: denying travel visas to senior officials, freezing foreign bank accounts and assests of senior leaders; banning exports to Iran of all nuclear and missile technology, dual use technologies and conventional weapons; a moratorium on all new economic agreements with Iran; a ban on all new investment particularly by the EU and focused on Iran's oil and gas infrastructure; a ban on the export to Iran of refined oil products; and imposition of land, air and sea interdiction regimes to prevent Iranian import of nuclear or dual-use technologies.

Alternative forms of pressure have also been mentioned including barring participation in international sports competitions.