The piece considers the principal limitations of blocking-statutes and the underlying assumptions. By examining the anti-sanctions statute through the lens of force majeure, this article exposes its limitations. Finally, it considers the broader framework that may be required if a blocking-statute is to provide meaningful protection rather than symbolic resistance.

The Strait of Hormuz disruption raises a question that existing legal frameworks do not adequately answer: where performance is made unlawful by sanctions, can parties rely on force majeure clauses or the doctrine of frustration?